


Dreamin' about the things that we could be

by GentleStorm



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Author puts her Positive Psychology certificate to good use, Author wildly makes things up in the same way Lucuas did in the sequels, Clone Trooper Culture (Star Wars), Clones' ironclad Jedi kink, Cody Does Not Deserve This, Cody and crew unfucks Obi-Wan, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Darth Maul Lives, Darth Maul Needs a Hug, Darth Maul Redemption, F/M, Hiding Medical Issues, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, I fix Lucus's bullshit, Insomnia, M/M, Medical Procedures, Medical Trauma, Obi-Wan Kenobi Deserves Better, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Has PTSD, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Order 66 (Star Wars), Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Qui-Gon Jinn Dies, Qui-Gon Jinn's A+ Parenting, Qui-Gon returns for the purpose of plot, Tea does a lot of heavy lifting in this fic, That's another fic, The Kenobi-Skywalker codependency show, We accept the cannon we think we deserve, Worried CC-2224 | Cody, he gets all the hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:27:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27793060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GentleStorm/pseuds/GentleStorm
Summary: How if we kept to the cannon just a little bit more, Obi-Wan's nightmares could've ended the war. Now, if only he'd talk about them.This is going to be a multi-chapter exploring every time somebody realized how screwed up Obi-Wan is, but for now, it is complete and stand alone.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 50
Kudos: 471





	1. Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moral grey issues of consent not around sex. Cody possibly drugs Obi-Wan to get him to sleep. There some points where characters feel like they're taking advantage/don't deserve nice things. They're wrong. All parties are actually aware, and want that character to have nice things and are happy to provide that thing.
> 
> Please ask me any questions if you have concerns!

Nightmares are past common in the GAR. However, everybody having the same nightmare? Not common. Not common at all. Cody only finds out about that they’ve stopped from Kix during lunch.

“The nightmare stopped!” Kix tells him enthusiastically.

“What nightmare?” Cody asks, not really paying attention, not really considering his audience. Oh, fuck.

“I’m in a battlefield, but there’s children and I can’t stop them from dying,” Kix explains his nightmare, grumpy and shaken at the same time. “But I think it finally went away! I haven’t had it for a month! I meant to tell you.”

“Huh. Interesting,” Obi-Wan says. Cody looks up at that, and sees the color drain from the General’s face. “I think I’m going to get more food,” he adds, and Cody’s suspicions rise. Kenobi, to Cody’s knowledge, has a passing acquaintance with eating enough. Kix kick’s Cody’s leg. Hard. Cody kicks back harder. “I’ll just be on the way,” Kenobi says blithely and books it.

Fuck.

“What was that about?” Askoka asks, waving her spoon around.

Cody does not bang his head against the table. He does not. He has a reputation to maintain, but fuck all, he’s the highest ranked on the ship behind the Jetii. Fuck the Jetiise sometimes, and their inability to emote. Battle droids handle their PTSD better. He’s not kidding. Last mission, some flipped out when they saw Skywalker bearing down on them, and yet, they screamed and then died. Very nice. Much better than whatever the fuck Kenobi is doing right now. Probably meditating away his feelings, releasing them into the Force and then repressing them for the next fifty years.

Ahsoka is still waiting. “Paperwork,” Cody lies easily. “Hey, where’s Skywalker at?”

Jetiise can sort their shit out, no need to involve an innocent (somewhat) vod, right? Right.

“You know this. The council called him back to guard a senator. He won’t be back for a week.”

Cody accepts that he does not like the council, and that’s just how it’s going to be. Fine. He can do feelings. Look at him, he’s good at feelings. Kiff, Rex had him give the “yes, the Jetiise are hot. No they don’t know, and we haven’t told them yet. Leave it alone” lecture two weeks ago. He can do this. Kix grimaces at him.

“Right. Hey, I just realized I also have paperwork.”

“Yeah, you have that thing-” Kix helpfully adds.

“Yup. That thing! Geez, guess I better go handle that!” Cody takes off. Nailed it, he thinks to himself. Well, it’s not like Skywalker would’ve done better, or Rex for that matter. Rex likes to throw grenades at things for fuck’s sake. He’s got this.

Cody considers his next move as he walks down the halls of the _Negotiator_ , nodding to other vode. He knows better than to look for Kenobi in the man’s quarters. That’s the last place he’d be. Instead, he heads to the gym.

It’s barely a gym, but the floor is matted, and there’s some weights in the corner. Vode, Kaysh shu'shuk. The General is running through katas, which on any other day, very sexy. Today, he’s shaking. Cody can see sweat gathering on the mats. Something is very wrong.

“General-”

“Cody!” Kenobi grins at him, and he doesn’t know what to do with it. “I thought we talked about calling me Obi-Wan.”

“Sir-”

“Obi-Wan,” Kenobi corrects.

Right. Sure. “Obi-Wan, sir, I was wondering if I could ask for your help in a matter.” Good, that oughta do it.

“Of course, Cody. My quarters? I’ll make some tea.” Nice. Cody awards himself some points for that maneuver. Cody keeps pace as Kenobi leads the way to the Jeti’s quarters. He calmly waits for the Jeti to make the tea, which he knows will be necessary for this conversation. “Me'vaar ti gar?” Kenobi asks eventually, making the effort.

“I have this friend,” he starts out, not realizing that it’s an ironic turn of phrase on Corosount, “who is having problems sleeping.”

“Oh. Do you know why?”

“I do. He’s having nightmares, and I don’t know how to help.” Honestly, the long necks never gave Cody enough credit.

“Oh, I see. Have you tried talking to them about it?”

“No. They’d only deflect.”

“Huh. Well, I don’t know what you could do if they’d-”

“See, I know what their nightmares are. They’ve been talking in their sleep, but I don’t want to make them more nervous.”

“Cody,” Kenobi says, finally catching on despite his exhaustion, “this is not appropriate.”

“Are we friends, sir?”

“What? I . . . I hope we are, Cody. I’m sorry if I ever gave-”

“Am I not allowed to care about you?” Kenobi has given numerous, numerous lectures about the value of caring about others, and that clones deserve to have _feeeeeelings_.

“I-of course but this isn’t-”

“Right. I see. You don’t trust me.” Cody sips at his tea, watching his General splutter and try to back track. “It’s all right, sir. I understand.” Kenobi’s eyes narrow. “I’ll let the council know to appoint another vod in my position.”

“I’m too tired, aren’t I.” Kenobi glares at Cody, and Cody feels a smugness come over himself. “I can feel your smugness. I am going to shower, and then we can finish this discussion.”

“Sure. Are you planning to have it in your sleep or?” Cody asks, watching the other man yawn.

“Kiff you,” Obi-Wan says, irritated. “Did you drug the tea?” he asks, suddenly.

“Hm. I have the high ground. Come on, you’re going to want to hurry if you don’t want to fall asleep in the fresher.” It’s a close call, but Kenobi makes it into bed.

“This is mutiny.”

“Sure, sir. I’ll keep watch, all right?”

Kenobi shakes his head. “I can’t sleep. I can’t control it. Anakin was helping, but I can’t. Ahsoka! I can’t sleep.”

“Easy, sir, easy. Just sleep. I gotcha. Easy.” Cody tucks the man in, covering him up. Kenobi would mutter something about being able to regulate his body temperature, and how the cold of space won’t affect him, but Cody calls banthashit on that. Besides, the tea was lanced with kriffing melatonin, enough to put a mouse out. It must’ve triggered something, but Kenobi isn’t fighting it. Within a parsec, Kenobi is out like a light.

Cody keeps his word, staying there for the next ten hours, doing his paperwork and meditating. All of the battalion know how by now, thanks to the combined efforts of the Jetii. Kenobi comes awake screaming. The whole damn room shakes, and Cody near about has a cardiac arrest.

“The fuck!” He moves swiftly to the Jedi’s side. “Hey, sir, it’s all right, it’s all right.” Kenobi starts sobbing, openly shaking and can’t seem to breath in. “Hey, gar morut'yc. You’re safe,” he repeats in standard. Cody grips Kenobi’s forearm, and then grips his shoulder with his other hand. “Gar morut'yc. Shh. You’re safe. Udesiir. Calm. Gar morut’ye.”

“Sorry, shit. Sorry, Cody.” Cody ignores him, and sits more directly on the bed, rubbing his hands up and down Kenobi’s arms, trying to get warmth back into the General’s bones. Kenobi wrestles away from him, and really the blankets and goes to the fresher. Cody can hear the sound of him retching and tossing up what little food he’d eaten. Kenobi isn’t exactly fed well to begin with. Kriff this. Cody leaves him to it “You drugged me.” The Jeti isn’t affronted so much as taken aback, and a little bit proud, but mostly irritated.

“Hm. Melatonin. Which as you know, is barely a drug.” Cody’s chin comes up a little bit, defiant in the face of his General’s glare.

“I was doing perfectly-” Cody lets his eyes flit to the fresher- “fine,” Kenobi growls, irritated and caught out, and so very irritated.

“Sir, the GAR has been having the same nightmare for the past month. You. Are. Not. Fine.”

“I-nobody had them last night.” It’d work if Cody had been decanted yesterday.

“Because you were awake for the past three days. General-” And Kenobi’s patience shatters.

“Out.” Cody blinks, trying to figure out a way to have an emotional conversation without getting the other’s man back up again.

“Sir-”

“Cody, I am fine, and you’ll just have to accept that.”

“Sir-” Obi-Wan _I have no problems_ Kenobi Force threw him out of the room, and locked the door behind him.

Right. Fine. Not a heck of a lot Cody can do about a locked door. Time to call for back up.

“I’m sorry, you think what?”

“I think something’s wrong with the General, and I want to know when you’ll be back.” Cody easily ignores that Skywalker is dashing around, trying to not get killed in the holovid.

“I. Am. A. Little. Busy. At the moment.”

Cody waits patiently for another minute, until it seems that Skywalker has a break to say, “I wouldn’t have commed you if I wasn’t worried, Sir.”

“Cody, Obi-Wan is not . . . you said you were worried? About what?” Cody considers his words carefully. “Cody?” Skywalker gives him his full attention.

“I-shit, sorry, sir. I don’t think he’s feeling his best self and-”

“His best self? The hell do you mean?”

“Sir, I-he hasn’t been sleeping.”

“Oh, yeah, he does that.” Skywalker waved a hand around.

Cody shakes his head. “Not like this, sir. He hasn’t slept since you left for that mission.”

“That was a month ago. He has to be getting some sleep. And how do you know he hasn’t been sleeping?”

“Sir, I’m not comfortable saying.”

“Commander, I’m making this a direct order: tell me what has been going on.”

Well, surely Kenobi can’t kill him for this, right? Right. Sure. “I think he’s been giving us all his nightmares.”

“And he deflected?”

“Big time.”

“Sithspit.” Anakin let another few words, swearing in Huttense. “Right. I’m going to sic Ashoka on him. Tell Kix. It seems like-” he slices through a droid- “my mission is wrapping up. I’ll be there within a week. Damn council. You’ll need to keep this need to know. If the council thinks he isn’t in control, they’ll remove him.”

“Sir, that might be for the best.”

Skywalker shakes his head. “No. Absolutely not. You know they’re not good with emotions.”

“Sir, they might be able to help.”

“Look you wanted my advice right?” Cody reluctantly nods. “Then don’t tell the council until it gets really dire. Has it affected his command?”

“No, but it’s only a matter of time.”

Skywalker shakes his head. “When I became knighted, he didn’t sleep for a year. I’m only worried because of his loss of control.”

Cody abruptly remembers that the Jedi are not known for their healthy coping mechanisms, and the Skywalk-Kenobi codependence show is alive and well. Ahsoka does not deserve this. “Sir, I like Kenobi, but if it continues, I’ll report it to somebody above you.” He flicks the comm off, and ignores the return ones.

In the middle of all of this, the council sends them on an assault on a sepi’s weapons depot. Four long and exhausting days of battle. Cody is barely standing. Kenobi is a bundle of energy, bantering with the men, and looking like he could go forever. Only Cody sees the twitching in his hands, and knows that the man’s thirty minutes away from keeling over.

“Hey, boss, grub.” He hands the Jedi a bowl of something that the mess cooked up. They’re all in the hanger, talking and moving about, trying to get rid of the left over adrenaline. Ahsoka is chattering away with Rex. Cody and Obi-Wan are far enough away that the others won’t hear them if they keep their voices low.

Kenobi gives him a wary look. “Is this drugged?”

“Nah,” Cody lies.

“Does it count as lying if you know I know you’re lying?” Obi-Wan asks, his voice wary.

“No idea, boss. Eat up.”

“Melatonin?” Cody nods. “Kix knows?” Cody snorts. Kix gave him the drugs. “All right.”

Cody eyes him. Obi-Wan is not a fearful person, but he gives the bowl another wary look. “What can I do to make this easier for you?” Cody asks, voice soft enough that the others definitely can’t hear him.

“I don’t want anybody else to share my dreams.”

“I’m no healer, but do you think the more you fight your dreams, the more they’ll keep coming?”

“When you’d get so wise?”

“Hm. I’ve been listening to Rex. Come on, sir.” Cody nudges him out of the room, nodding to Ahsoka and vode, steering his General to Obi-Wan’s quarters. With another look, Obi-Wan goes to shower in the fresher. Cody showered earlier that day, when he went to go get food and drugs. It was a calculated move that gave the General just enough time to start crashing.

“Do they know?” Obi-Wan asks, watching Cody fix tea.

“Hm? Kix knows, so does Rex and Ahsoka. Skywalker too.”

“So everybody,” Obi-Wan says dryly. “Look, they’re not that big a deal.”

“You’re not sleeping.”

“I don’t want anybody else to dream what I’ve been dreaming. It’s not a problem. I . . . I use Anakin as an achor sometimes.”

“You didn’t do that to him when he was a padawan.” There’s a growl in Cody’s throat.

“What? No! Of course not! He offered when he became a knight. I didn’t know how to refuse.”

“What does it mean, to be an anchor?”

“We share dreams. The council knows about it. It’s all on the up and up, I’ll have you know.” Cody’s never heard his friend so defensive. “They know I get visions sometimes.”

“You share dreams with Skywalker?”

“Just when I can’t sleep.”

“When you won’t sleep,” Cody corrects.

Obi-Wan shrugs. “Everybody has a different gift with the Force. Mine is visions. They’re . . .they’re strong, too strong for me to not project them. I’ve _tried_ not too, but after Tattoine, they got worse.” He fiddles with the bowl, running his fingers around the edges. “I didn’t realize they got bad again. I’m sorry, Cody, I’ll ask the Council for a respite when I give my report.”

“What does it take to be an anchor?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Trust mostly.” Cody pours them both some tea.

“Does it require being a Force user?”

“No. Cody, I can’t, I can’t ask that of you!”

“It seems like you didn’t ask, sir. Besides, I got my own PTSD. I figure this way, you get some sleep, and the battalion does, and we get to keep our General.”

“I-I don’t. I mean not that I wouldn’t like to share a bed with you, but I don’t think-that’s not what I meant! Shit. Sorry. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Huh. Seems like it’s one of the better ones. Definitely better than yours at least.” Cody sips at his tea, watching his General splutter. He really is adorable, like Cody was ever going to let him go. Cody thought Jedi were supposed to be smart. One more thing the long necks lied about. “Besides, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

“I just don’t think this is a appropriate,” Obi-Wan says, blushing a little bit.

“Am I not your friend?”

“I-you-I’m too tired for this.” Cody gives the bowl a pointed look. “Fine,” Obi-Wan huffs, and eat the thick paste, making a face. Cody watches as his eyes begin to droop. “You used something stronger than melatonin,” Obi-Wan accuses, pointing the spoon at his commander. It’s cute, adorable even, but Cody controls his face.

“No. I didn’t even drug it.”

“Huh?”

“The tea was though.”

“Sith take it, Cody, I don’t-fuck.” Cody catches his General when Obi-Wan almost topfulls over.

“Couldn't take a chance that you would eat, sir. Easy. Come on, up we get.”

“I’m going to throw you in the brig.”

“You do that, sir,” Cody soothes, easily pressing the man into the bunk. “Let’s get your robes off. You could’ve changed into sleep clothes,” he mutters, stripping the other man down.

“I thought you didn’t like me like that,” Obi-Wan murmurs, making his commander give him a weird look. “Hm.” Obi-Wan helpfully shimmies out of his pants and shirt, leaving him in his underwear. “Stay.”

“Hm-ugh?”

“Stay. Please.” Obi-Wan tugged Cody into the bunk with him. “‘S nice.”

“Sir, I don’t think.”

“Please?” Well, Cody’s a strong person, but against that look? He folds like a blanket in Kamino rain.

“You got, boss.” Besides, he’s still wearing armour, it’s not like he’s naked or anything.

“Take the armour off. It’s too hard.” Sithspit.

“Let me just.” Cody untangles himself, and steals some of Obi-Wan’s sleep clothes. He dresses in the shower, and stares at his penis. “Shut up,” he tells it. “We are not having sex. You are not getting laid,” he tells himself. Heck, it’s just a cuddle. All the vode love a good cuddle.

“Cody?” But fuck, Obi-Wan’s voice should not sound that good hoarse as it is.

“Yeah.” Cody leaves the fresher and climbs into the bunk. Obi-Wan looks like he’s already asleep. “Come here,” he says, flipping them so Obi-Wan is on top of him, clutching him like a giant pillow. “That’s it. Just go to sleep.” He runs a hand through his Jedi’s hair. “Sleep.” Within minutes they’re both passed out.

“Well, this is certainly interesting,” Obi-Wan says to himself, not fully awake, but still pressed up against his commander. Cody is snoring softly to himself almost, mouth open, drool hanging down. His legs are wrapped around Obi-Wan’s in a grapple position, but his arms have fallen to his sides. Slowly, carefully, Obi-Wan untangles himself from Cody, and stumbles to the fresher.

Ten hours have passed. There’s a flurry of calls on the answering system. Two of them are from Anakin. Obi-Wan valiantly tries to wake up after using the fresher. “Well, done,” he tells himself. He throws on a fresh set of robes, writes a note for Cody about how sorry he is, and asks for his forgiveness. He then shucks his boots on and leaves, taking some loose leaf tea with him, and his holopad. “You really put your foot in your mouth this time,” he mutters, going to the mess hall, hoping to not run into anybody.

“Obi-Wan!” Frick. Anakin. Retreating is not the Jedi way, but Obi-Wan casually about faces, and walks the other way. Discretion is the better part of valor. Unfortunately, Anakin has no problem booking it across 100 meters, and catching Obi-Wan before he spaces himself.

“Ah, I didn’t see you there,” he says to a panting Anakin.

“Sure you didn’t. So, what’s this I hear about cuddle therapy?”

“Fuck off,” Obi-Wan says cheerfully. “How was your mission with the senator?”

“You really are tired. You usually do a better job of pretending you have no idea what’s going on under your nose.”

“Hm.”

“It was fine. She’s good. She wanted me to tell you that she’s sending you some Naboo tea.” Obi-Wan snorts and makes a sign that he’s fine. “If you were fine, Cody wouldn’t have commed me in the middle of a mission.”

“He’s over-reacting. I am fine. I’m quite capable of managing a few nights on my own.”

“Kix was telling me about these intense nightmares everybody’s been having. If things keep going, we won’t need the Sepies. You’ll defeat us for them. Master, you need to ask us for help, and take it when we offer it.”

“I . . . you’re right.” Obi-Wan sighs. “Sorry. You’re right.”

“Come on, it seems like this is a conversation for you, me, and Cody.” Obi-Wan reluctantly nods. “And I got us all some food.”

“All right.”

Within minutes, they’re in Obi-Wan’s quarters. Cody had just woken up when they came in, and was getting out of the bunk. “Sirs?”

“I shortened my mission considerably. It’s good to see you, Cody. You, sit,” he orders Obi-Wan. “Eat.”

Obi-Wan eyes the porridge, but eats it. Anakin, with the knowledge of years of being Obi-Wan’s padawan, makes tea to his Master’s specifications. It’s a lavender tea, laced with honey. He makes enough for everybody.

“How bad have they gotten?” Anakin asks, deciding to kick things off.

“Oh, they’re not too-”

“Screaming, death, I think three shinies were throwing up a few nights ago,” Cody corrects. Obi-Wan grimaces, and drinks some tea.

“Same dream?” Anakin asks.

“It doesn’t matter,” Obi-Wan insists. “I don’t think it’s a Force vision anyway.”

“So you definitely think it’s a Force vision,” Cody concludes. “Look just-” he sighs- “he’s battling somebody on a lava planet. I think it’s a Sith.”

“You’re dreaming about Sith!?” Anakin yelps, nearly knocking over his tea. The oh so important tea.

“No. Like I said, I don’t think it’s a Force vision.”

“Master, I am not Ahsoka or the council. I know when you’re lying.”

“Fine,” Obi-Wan growls. “I think it is a Force vision. I think it is something horrible, but I don’t-it can’t be what I-well, it’s not really what I-there’s no way.”

“No way what?” Anakin prompts, worry mounting. Obi-Wan shakes his head, refusing to say anything more. “Master?”

“In the dream,” Cody says slowly after they both realize Obi-Wan isn’t going to say anything more. “He keeps thinking about children, Jedi children, who were slaughtered.”

“And?”

“And me. I think,” Cody says even more slowly, and then quickly, trying to get it all out at once, “I think I shot him in the dream. But I can’t have, right? There’s no way.”

“You shoot him?!”

“Like I told both of you, I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about.”

“Master, that’s what you said on Bespin.” They had then promptly been captured and tortured. “Do you know who you’re fighting in the dream?”

“No-I . . . yes. I know who I’m fighting, but I’m sure that won’t ever. It-the Force works in mysterious ways. Who’s to say. The future is always changing.”

“You’ve been having the same dream for a month, General.”

“Fine. I don’t. Anakin, I don’t believe the dream will come true, all right? It can’t come true!”

“Master?” The worry that’s started in the pit of his stomach reaches his throat.

“I’m fighting you in the dream. That’s your lightsaber, your hands, your style of fighting.” Obi-Wan’s face is anguished. “I don’t-it can’t be, right? You would never betray the Jedi Order! I know this! We’re brothers! We would never-I would never kil-it would never happen!”

“Okay, hey, Master!” Obi-Wan started crying into his hands, shaking. “Obi-Wan, it’s all right. I believe you. Come here.” Anakin pulls him into a hug, cupping the back of his master’s neck. “Shh. I believe you.”

Cody drinks his tea, mulling the whole thing over. He _can_ see Skywalker going darkside. The Jetiise have that whole thing about attachment, and knowing the gossip from Rex, Skywalker is very attached to Amidala. He can certainly see that going wrong. But Kenobi killing Anakin? For anything? That doesn’t track.

“All right. Solutions to the General’s-”

“Obi-Wan,” the man in question corrects.

Cody ignores him, “- lack of sleep. I figure we can make me an anchor.”

“That means you’ll get them too.”

“Yup. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you haven’t been using Skywalker since he hasn’t been dreaming about you killing him.”

“I never said I kill him in the dream.”

“Doesn’t matter, sir. How do we make me an anchor?”

“I-it’s intimate.”

“Pretty sure I woke up with your morning wood this morning.” Anakin blushes, and looks at anything except the other two men. It’s difficult as he still has an arm around Obi-Wan. “Sir, I want to help. Let me help.”

“I-fine. Thank you.” Obi-Wan swallows, straightening up. “So, I’ll form a bond between us. It won’t be . . . it isn’t that intimate, especially as you’re not Force sensitive. You probably won’t even know it’s there.”

“All right.” Cody waves his hand in a _come on_ gesture. “Do it.”

Kenobi shuts his eyes. It takes several minutes, but then Cody feels warm all over, like sunshine after a great rain. It feels like the first time Rex snuck into his bunk when they were cadets, when Kenobi smiles at him on days when he’s barely getting by. It feels like light, pure light. It’s an almost painful feeling. Slowly, slowly it fades until it’s still there, but it’s manageable, almost forgettable.

“My friend, you have a singularly unique mind,” Obi-Wan tells him.

“Hm. Thank you. So this means you can sleep, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. That seems to be the immediate problem. Let me comm Rex.”

“What?”

“Well, both of you need sleep, and I bet Rex does too. Might as well make it everybody.”

“Oh, I couldn't possibly-”

“Funny, how you think I’m giving either of you a choice,” Cody says, his voice firm. He comms Rex, and in short succession, they have the Jetiise asleep on a mattress on the floor. “You ever think this was where we’d end up?”

“Not in a million years.” And despite what Obi-Wan said about Cody barely noticing the bond, Cody can feel the hum of it even with the Jetii passed out. “It’s good though,” Rex says.

“Hm,” Cody agrees, and with that they fall asleep.


	2. Eating

After a few days, Cody and Obi-Wan sit down with Kix. Kix, having been briefed on the whole affair by Cody and Rex and having called this meeting to begin with, has Obi-Wan’s medical charts pulled up. Obi-Wan can’t stop himself from wanting to fidget, although the actual motions are stopped from thirty years of Jedi training. Cody eyes his General, and wishes that Skywalker wasn’t yet again away on a mission. Obi-Wan had asked him to sit in, and Cody had agreed, knowing that he’d just try to blackmail the information out of Kix otherwise. Maybe. Possibly.

The sleeping experiment had gone well. Well, it often left the commander with more morning wood than he’d had to deal with since he was a cadet. But, Obi-Wan was sleeping, albeit not peacefully, and the battalion had stopped having horrific nightmares that they couldn't quite remember. Cody didn’t see the nightmares, just flashes of pain and suffering. It had also removed any lingering aloofness between the pair.

“Just to check, you’re comfortable with Cody here?” Kix asks.

“Of course.”

“Well, sir, it seems like you’re no longer suffering from sleep deprivation.”

“I would hope so, Kix, after all the work Cody has put in.” Cody could make a drinking game out of how often Kenobi deflects, if he wanted to die of alcohol poisoning. “I don’t think this meeting is necessary.”

Kix, who had been spending the past week getting certified in psychology, wasn’t put off. “Why is that, Obi-Wan?”

Obi-Wan almost blinks at the casual address. Well, maybe the men are finally getting on board with informal address, he thinks. “Oh, I feel great, not that I didn’t before,” he hastens to add.

“Are you having any more trouble with your insomnia?”

Obi-Wan firmly reminds himself that you can only solve a problem after you confront it, and he has confronted it. “No.”

“All right.” Kix casually flips through the medical file, pausing on something. “Ah, yes, I’m a little bit concerned about your weight. How’s your food intake?”

Obi-Wan’s face remains passive, relaxed, but Cody can sense the tension building in the back of his mind where the bond lays. “Fairly standard. You know Jedi don’t need a lot to eat anyway.”

Kix stares at him for a long moment, blinking steadily away. “Skywalker eats bugs. Tano has eaten wamp rats.”

Sound argument. Cody applauds Kix. Skywalker eats anything you set in front of him, up to and including bugs. Bugs that aren’t even washed. Straight. Up. Bugs. Tano is just as bad. He had to once stop her from eating raw meat because “Togrutas are carnivores and can eat raw meat” does not mean growing Togrutas should. She had sat there, sniffing while he cooked the meat.

“I-yes, but my species does not require much food,” Obi-Wan argues, relaxed and confident that he’s correct.

“Hm. According to the Republic’s Health System, you are underweight for your species.”

“Yes, but the Jedi-” Obi-Wan says with a smile, only to be interrupted gently.

“And according to the Jedi’s Health System.” Obi-Wan’s teeth snap shut and lock. Kix looks at his General, unblinking. “What’s up with that?”

Obi-Wan’s face becomes even more still, more blink. Cody hates it. The General is always in motion, always smiling or reacting in some way, Jedi or not. Everything about him says _stay away_. Cody has a feeling that he’s going to hit something after this conversation.

“Oh, I’ve always been picky.” It’s said in a dismissive tone, and Cody instantly knows it’s somebody else’s words.

The clones take a minute to let that settle in the room. Uh-huh. Sure. The man who has no possessions, sometimes forgets that blankets are a thing, and ate the same thing for breakfast every day is picky. Yup. That checks.

“All right, sir,” Kix says, remembering the psychology training. “What I’m hearing is that you have a hard time eating because you’re picky. Did I get that right?” Obi-Wan nods. “All right. What can we do to help, sir?”

“Oh, I think I have it well in hand,” Obi-Wan says casually.

“All right. Walk me through a normal day of eating for you.”

Cody is very sure that the next item on Kix’s list is a dental appointment, judging by the audible sound of Obi-Wan’s clenched teeth.

“Fine. I eat some toast and tea for breakfast.” Cody snorts, but waves a hand for his lying Jedi to continue. “I get my other two meals from the mess hall.” Sure you do, bud, Cody thinks.

“All right.” Kix logs that into the holopad. “And what do you think your total caloric intake is?”

“I don’t know. 1500 calories?”

“Hm.” Kix adds that, still relaxed. Calm. Cody is proud of his vod for his self-control. The long necks never gave the vode enough credit for their acting abilities. “You identify as a human male, correct?” Obi-Wan nods. “Right. Anakin’s intake is around 5000 calories a day, as it should be according to the Jedi’s health systems. I am concerned because you are simply not eating enough, sir to support combat readiness and your use of the Force. You should be eating double a standard clone’s diet, and you are currently eating less than a third.”

Obi-Wan shakes his head. “No, no that can’t be right. I’ve been very good-I mean, I’ve been eating three meals a day.” Kix doesn’t mark that red flag down, but oh does he want to. He does make a mental note to return to it later.

“I know. I’m happy that you’re eating three meals a day. I know you’ve said before that you’ve had problems digesting food, is that still the case?”

“I-yes.”

“Okay. Medical regularly gives clones protein shakes as snacks. I’m going to put you on one of them a day. It should help your digestion as well.”

“That seems entirely unnecessary.”

“Why? According to our data base, you are not processing enough food. This seems like a good solution as you said that you are picky when it comes to food. Instead of drinking water during your meetings, which you most definitely should continue to do so throughout the day, you can carry around a protein shake.”

“Kix, you’re making a big deal over nothing.”

“Your health is not nothing. Your continued well-being is very important to me,” Kix says firmly. “Please sir, try it for a week, and if it doesn’t work we can talk again.”

“I-all right, if you think it’s really necessary.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“If that’s all Kix, I’ll just be on my way. Thank you for your-” Obi-Wan mumbles a few words, and very casually bolts from the room. Ba'slan shev'la. Strategic disappearance. Cody snorts to himself.

“You think he’s like some of the shinies?” Cody asks, looking at the door that Obi-Wan just hoofed it through in a very un-Jedi like move. “The ones who didn’t eat?”

“I think it’s a possibility.” Kix rubs at his face. Clones take back control in whatever way they can from the long necks. “Has he been throwing up?”

“No. I have no idea why he thinks 1500 calories is enough. Haar'chak!” Damn it! “That’s not enough for a child, let alone a full grown Jedi! You putting him on one of those 1000 calorie shakes?”

“You bet your shebs.” Kix grins suddenly. “He ever work out that you never drugged the tea, just put some powder in it?”

“Hell no. The man was sleep deprived, and about a day from hallucinating that we’re all kuat dragons.”

“Hm, does that make you his trea-?”

“Can it.”

“You still haven’t talked to him about it??” Kix’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Of course I haven’t! I-I can’t lose him. He already has a guilt complex. What if he decides he wants me because it’s what I want? Hell, I don’t think he’s ever been in a real relationship?” Cody rubs his hands together. “Anyway, I have to be off. Some of the shinies wanted something.”

The good thing about the bond, and bunking together every night is that Obi-Wan can’t avoid him. The bad thing is that he can’t avoid Obi-Wan.

Either way, Cody puts the old school kettle on, and patiently waits for his Jetii’s return. Obi-Wan comes in about half way through the night watch. “Oh, I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“We literally sleep together every night.”

“Right. I figured-sorry.”

Cody hesitates. He gets the impression that Obi-Wan has apologized too often for things that are not the Jedi’s fault. “It’s all right. I was meditating.” The tea has long since cooled and been put in the fridge.

“At this point, you’ll soon pass me.”

“Hm.”

Obi-Wan sighs and sits on the floor, across from Cody. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to deflect like that from you. I needed some time to think it all over.”

“The eating?” Cody lets his eyes rest on Obi-Wan’s face.

The other man hesitates and then chuckles at himself. “I always thought of it as the not eating thing.” A hand comes up to sweep his hair back, not that it was disarrayed to begin with. Now is not the time to be focusing on the Jedi’s hair, Cody reminds himself. “I was a picky eater when I was a baby, or so I’ve been told.” There’s a long pause, and Cody picks up the slack.

“But you’re not now.”

“No, I don’t suppose I am. There was a mission when I was a padawan.” Cody nearly grimaces. He’s heard stories, ones that Obi-Wan has tried to laugh off as the stupidity of youth. “I thought I knew what I was doing, you understand. There was this group, called The Young. All they wanted was _peace_. I-food was scarce, and they were literal children. I was hurt, and they didn’t-they didn’t know what to feed me, you understand.” Obi-Wan’s voice is close to pleading. “So, I ate what I could, but it made me sick, and I-my wounds became infected. It wasn’t my master’s fault,” he adds, used to defending Qui-Gon. Cody adds that comment to his growing suspicions, but knows better than to crack that one open just yet. Another time, he decides. “Anyway, after that, I had a hard time eating.” He smiles suddenly, brightening the room. “Luckily, Anakin eats everything. He had the opposite reaction to food scarcity. I’m grateful for that.”

Cody waits patiently until it is obvious that Obi-Wan is done speaking, until Obi-Wan is almost getting embarrassed for sharing so much. “Thank you for trusting me with that,” he says in measured tones. Obi-Wan moves to shrug it off, but Cody persists. “It means a great deal to me that you told me that.” He gives the words enough weight that even the Jedi can’t escape the emotion. Cody reaches out, slowly, catching Obi-Wan’s hands in his, rubbing his fingers along the narrow bones. “Because you were a child, you deserved to feel safe,” he says, still in that measured voice that he learned from his General. “Because you were a child, you should not have been left in a war zone,” he says, because he knows what the absence of Qui-Gon means. Cody cannot imagine Anakin being left, for any reason, not by Obi-Wan.

“I was a Jedi,” Obi-Wan argues, not really believing it but repeating words he’s been told.

“I know.”

“I was trained.”

“I know that too. But you were a child. You must’ve felt so alone, and so scared.” The words are so simple, that even Obi-Wan can’t mount a defense. “You should’ve been _safe_.”

Cody can’t help but think of the cadets used for target practice. The ones who can’t keep up and are never heard or seen again. The ones with blue eyes and unsure hands, being sent into warzones that they were not made for. No human is made for war, but they are not humans, are they? They are not given names or read bedtime stories.

“I was safe,” Obi-Wan argues, but it’s half-hearted. Cody raises his eyebrows. “I was safe,” he repeats. “I-Yoda got me. He took me back.” Not Jinn though. Yoda. Cody apparently owes the green goblin something. It’s an uncomfortable thought. “I was safe,” and this time they can both hear the lie in his words.

“Come on,” Cody says, deciding that both had done enough emotional work for the night. “Kix is on me about making sure our sleep schedule settles.”

Obi-Wan showers, and dresses for sleep. Cody hopes his sleep is restful for once. He gets his wish, but at a price.

_There’s fire. It’s always the first thing Cody notices. He can’t not, not with how it burns around him, wiping through the air. The scent of lava and magma penetrates everything until he can’t breath. How he’s waving the lightsaber around is impressive, but then this is Obi-Wan’s body and not his own. He’s only there to observe._

_He is_ still _fighting Anakin Skywalker._

_Cody will have to speak to his General about fighting somebody else for a change._

_“You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!” Ugh. Come on, Kenobi, you just spliced the man’s legs off._

Finally the dream ends, and he hears _“Commander Cody, the time has come. Execute Order 66_.”

And then he wakes.

Later, much later, he’ll be grateful that he’s only wearing his blacks, that Obi-Wan is a grappling expert, and sleeps with a lightsaber and durasteel cuffs on hand. But that will be later, and this is now.

Obi-Wan wakes as his air is choked off, as he’s gasping for breath. “C-Cody?” he asks, and fights. “Cody!” he shouts, hitting the other man’s throat, forcing the man to release him. Obi-Wan tries to flip, to get some leverage, but the sheets tangle them both and they wind up on the floor. Cody springs up first, having successfully untangled himself and charges Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan flips back, trying desperately to put it together. “Cody! It’s me!” he screams, blocking his friend’s blows with his arms. He shoots and underhook around Cody’s thigh and takes the other man down, hard. Cody’s head smacks against the floor, but he gets back up, trying desperately to kill the man he’s in-

Obi-Wan touches Cody’s head. “Sleep!” he shouts, voice hoarse, and puts enough force into it, that Cody passes out. “The fuck was that?” he asks, shakily getting to his feet. He hits the control panel, comming Anakin. “Anakin, get a squad to my quarters on the double.”

“Obi-Wan? I sensed something wrong.”

“Yeah, well, Cody just tried to kill me.”

“Ah fuck. I’m next aren’t I?”

“Are you a Sith? No, then get a squad to my quarters!” Obi-Wan turns the system off, and looks for a pair of durasteel cuffs. He locks up his friend, checking the man’s pulse. Strong and steady. “Kix is going to have a field day with this.” Cody stirs. Obi-Wan watches him carefully. “Still feeling murderous, my friend?”

“What happened?” Cody tries to bring a hand up to rub his face, but encounters the cuffs. “Oh, did I get a little too rambunctious last night?”

“Not at all, though I am not into breath play.”

“What?” Cody’s look of complete bafflement snaps Obi-Wan out of flirting.

“You tried to kill me.”

“I-what? I would never!”

“But you did. You were perfectly awake and you tried to kill me.” Anakin comes in as Cody is spluttering denials and starting to develop a nice case of shock.

“Come on,” Anakin says, catching a blanket up and tossing it over Cody. He makes sure it falls so the cuffs aren’t visible to others. “I bet Kix will want to see you both.” He hustles them through the halls, escorted by some of Ghost Company.

“Sir, I would never kill you!” Cody insists as soon as the privacy shields are up.

“I know that! You weren’t in your right mind. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Execute Order-I can’t say it, not- what if I’m not the only one! Oh, what if I’m not the only one?”

“Cody?” Anakin asks.

“Kix, can you do a full scan on me?”

“Yeah, lay back on the bed.” Sensors shoot all over Cody’s body, and Kix pulls up the holograph image. There in Cody’s head is a chip. “There’s something in your head. I don’t-”

“Can you do it on Rex?”

“Sure, but-”

“Do it,” Anakin and Obi-Wan order.

The scan shows the same chip.

“You think you attacked me because of this chip?” Obi-Wan asks, terrified. Cody nods, studying the images. “And you think that every clone has one?”

“Definitely. I think somebody designed a failsafe.”

“But who would do that? Who had control?”

“The long necks did it on somebody’s orders. The sith?”

“Yes, but that would mean they’re in the republic, and pretty high up too.” Obi-Wan shakes himself. “Can you get it out, Kix?”

“Yes, sir.”

“How long?”

“Well, I can fry it, but removal? I’m less sure about. It’d take eight hours.”

“Can you batch fry them?” Anakin asks. “If all clones have them then that’s 1.2 million.”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“What if alerts whoever put them in?” Obi-Wan asks, starting to seriously wonder setting the entire republic on fire is a good idea.

Kix and Anakin shake their heads. “It should,” Anakin explains. “Not when we’re so far away from Coruscant, where I bet the Sith is. Even then, it’s such a small signal. _We_ didn’t even sense it and we live with the clones. There is no way they could have.” Kix nods his agreement.

“Kix,” Cody’s voice shakes. “Get. It. Out. Now.” Obi-Wan lays a hand on Cody’s shoulder, trying to lend him support. All Cody can remember though, is attacking his General, doing his utter best to kill the man.

Kix looks at his vod, his terrified brother. “All right. Lay back. I’m going to sedate you for this.” Cody lays back, and Kix injects him with a sedative. “It’s all right. I’ll have it out in no time. Heck, I’ll even save it as a souvenir.”

“You’re not funny,” Cody slurs, passing out. The last thing is sees is Obi-Wan’s blue eyes, looking at him with such compassion.

Later does come when Cody wakes up for the second time that night. He’s cognitisent of Obi-Wan sitting next to him, completely passed out, abandoned protein shake on the table. Kix’s work, no doubt. Cody smiles, and winces at the pain. “Kix?” he calls.

“Here. You came through just fine. The chip is out.” Kix rattles a small canister, containing an innocuous looking chip. “You’ll have to go easy for a few days. Kenobi already sent coded messages to the other battalions’ Jedi and to the council to trust no one except the Jedi.”

Cody swallows. “I almost kill him,” he says, horrified. “I almost killed my Jetii.”

“But you didn’t. And now we know why he kept dreaming you were going to.”

“Which means the rest of his dreams could come true. Of all the Jedi, I get the one who a prophet.”

“It’s kinda hot. Like weird flex, but okay.”

“You need to stop hanging around Ahsoka.”

“Hm. Sit up for me.” Cody nearly punches his brother when Kix shines a light in his eyes. “Good pupil reaction. Seems like you’re still attracted to the General, so the previous brain damage is not fixed. Very sad.”

“Please. We are all a little attracted to the General,” Cody whispers, making damn sure that the General is totally passed out. Kix smirks at him. “Oh, shut up.”

“Hm. You don’t see me fondling his lightsaber.” Cody stops following Kix’s finger at that.

“I DO NOT-” Kenobi shifts and snores loudly. “I do not fondle his light saber,” Cody finishes in a deadly whisper.

“You keep telling yourself that. Try to get some sleep. Condoms are on the right by the door.” Kix gives him an airy wave and goes into the CMO’s office.

Cody reminds himself that he _likes_ Kix. He _cannot space_ Kix, because Kix is the _Only_ one who could wrangle the Jetiise into medical. Although, Cody considers his sleeping Jetii, maybe he’s giving Kix more credit. Painfully, Cody reaches a hand out and feels for the smooth cup. It’s near empty.

“Good job,” he murmurs, and falls back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, I've watched maybe two seasons of Clone Wars. So like I don't know what's fanfic and what's cannon, which is optimal in some ways. I know Kix is with the 501st, but we do's what we's cans in these trying times.


	3. Medical

Cody is a go-getter, a professional one at that. So he focuses on problems that he can fix. Making sure that Obi-Wan always has a protein or nutrient shake. Check. Forcing the General to stick to a regular sleep cycle. Double check. Worrying over the thousands of clones that are getting zapped this very minute so that the entire world order doesn’t come crashing down on their heads? He’s got it on lock.

How Skywalker is barely sleeping and running around, trying to learn to be a better Jedi, after twenty years of training? He can’t do fuck about that. Cody doesn’t sleep in Obi-Wan’s bed, not after that night when he woke up trying to kill the man. Cody can’t do fuck about that either, except keep dodging the Jedi and Kix every time they try to have a conversation about how it isn’t Cody’s fault. Cody knows that, he does, but the most he can do is sit up with Rex and say over and over _I almost killed him_. He does start training against Ahsoka, Anakin, and other vode more, making damn well sure that they’re all ready.

“You know you don’t need to strip down, right?” Cody asks, watching Obi-Wan ditch his cloak and outer robes.

“I get hot! You’re not Anakin, you do not have sensitivity or a conservative nature! So I get hot, okay!” Obi-Wan rants, still taking off far too many clothes for Cody’s comfort. The long necks over did it with _cultivating their affection for the Jedi_ or some shit, and Cody does not need to fight off a hundred of his brothers for the right to woo Obi-Wan after this sith-cursed war ends.

Cody lifts his eyebrows. “Sure, General,” he says, drawing it out. Obi-Wan’s face flushes. Apparently Anakin had gotten on him about it. “If you wanted Boiler to kiff you-” the vod in question laughs- “all you had to do was ask.”

“I do-I-I was-am not flirting!” the Jedi roars, not at all mad, and his happiness flutters in Cody’s mind, ringing across their bond. Cody grins with all his teeth, and uses the distraction to throw the Jedi halfway across the room and into an unsuspecting Skywalker.

They know they’re racing against the clock of the Sith finding out.

But war wages on. Ever, ever on.

Cody dodges a missel, and back flips out of the way of a B2. He shoots up under the head, and kills it. Fuck this so hard. He makes a series of hand signals at Boil and Waxer to cover him so he can get closer to the General. Cody darts forward, taking out a decent amount of droids.

“There’s cover there!” Obi-Wan shouts, pointing to a group of rocks. Before Cody can explain the idiocy of that plan, the world explodes. Dust and rock rains down on them, along with fire. For whatever cursed reason, they’d been fighting on a volcano, and it’d just become active.

Cody forces himself to his feet, and drags Obi-Wan’s unconscious body free of the magma that had started to drip towards them. The droids are wasted at least. “General!” he screams, fighting his way back. Boil and Waxer grab them both and pull them to more stable ground. Cody bends down, and picks Obi-Wan up in a firefighter’s carry after checking that he’s not going to kill his General doing this. “Fuck this,” he mumbles to himself, and they book it down the volcano, retreating behind vode lines. Obi-Wan is breathing at least; Cody can feel his breath against his neck, struggling but there. Cody coughs, dislodging some of the dust and rock he’s breathed in. Kix is going to have a field day with us, he thinks.

“What the fuck did you do?” Kix roars.

“It wasn’t me! It was a damn volcano, that command promised us wouldn’t be active.”

“Oh yes, command, they’re always right about everything! Put him there.”

“Oh honestly dear, I think they blew it up using landmines,” Obi-Wan puts in, sitting up as soon as Cody put him down.

Kix is not placated. “Of all the stubborn, pig-headed, irritable-easy General- men I’ve ever had the-shh I’m just taking it off -the misfortune of dealing with-stop twitching-you are the worst.” Despite his agitation, Kix’s hands are soft as they touch Obi-Wan’s badly burned side. Obi-Wan can’t help his hissing and whimpering through clenched teeth. Dentist, Cody thinks distractedly. “All right,” Kix murmurs, “all right.” Kix grimaces, looking at the wounds.

They’re 3rd degree, and covered in shrapnel. The burns extend from Obi-Wan’s hip up to his neck along his left side. Cody takes Obi-Wan’s boots off and puts a blanket over his lower half, trying to help the shock. Obi-Wan catches Cody’s hand, grip tightening. The Jedi is shaking, and hissing curses as Kix finishes stripping him of his robes and armour.

“I called command,” Boil tells them. Cody nods, making a mental note to do something nice for the vod later. “They’re sending Skywalker to give us support. You’re in charge until he gets here.”

Cody nods, looking down at his commander. “Hey there,” he says, squeezing his hand. “I need to get going, gotta keep the Seps on the run. Shh. Kix has you all right?”

“I-right, of course,” Obi-Wan gets out, sweating. Kix is rummaging for pain killers. “Probably going to knock me out and do that-do that dental work he’s been . . .” A shot goes in. “Fuck. Lightsaber?”

“I got it.”

“Keep it.” Cody nods, and waits until Kix has the General completely out.

“Commander.”

“I know. I got it.” Cody sighs and stands up. Kix looks at him. “I’m not injured. I just got caught in the blast. The General was in the blast.”

“No injuries?”

“Nothing to report.” Kix lets him go with that, too worried about Obi-Wan to fight him. “Boil, round the men up. Tell them the General’s alive, and we gotta win this battle if they want to see him.” There, that’ll do it.

They win the battle. Cody’s pretty sure he saw some vode tearing apart clankers with their bare hands. Nobody touches their General. In the aftermath, Cody leans against his gun, trying to catch his breath.

“Sir, command took General Kenobi back to the _Negotiator_. The healers are convinced that he will be fine,” Boil reports.

“Good. Let’s get this mess cleaned up.”

It’s hours later that Cody stumbles back to his bunk, having been assured multiple times that Obi-Wan is _fine, leave or you won’t be_ by the healers. Cody groans to himself, and flips the lights on.

“Turn them off.”

“General?” Cody flips the lights off. “You should be in medical!”

“Can’t.” Obi-Wan takes a shuddering breath, and Cody turns on the nightstand lamp. It casts a low light that illuminates the fact that Obi-Wan is not only naked but lacking shoes and bandages. “They wanted to cut me open. I woke up on the OR table. I can’t-please don’t make me go back there!” He starts crying, in great heaving sobs, and Cody realizes that he’s still plastered out of his mind. Cody sits on the floor, hitting it with a thump.

“You’re all right,” he murmurs. “You’re all right.”

“I can’t-don’t make me-please!” he heaves out in between the tears. Cody duck walks over. Obi-Wan easily latches onto him. “I keep dreaming that you’re leaving me! And I’m alone! With the damn Code and I-”

“Shh. Shh, sir. I gotcha. I’m not leaving you. Shh.” He hits his comm unit, ringing Kix up.

“Cody, I’m in the middle of-”

“I have the General. Somebody hurt him.” Cody keeps his tone relaxed, but there’s tension there that says _somebody’s going to die, take care of it for me, won’t you?_

“Roger.”

“Was it a vod, sir?”

“Huh? No, they were from command and I-”

“All right, General. You got that?” Cody asks Kix.

“Got it. We’ll take care of it.” Cody hears the murderous intent loud and clear.

Cody shifts so he can grab a blanket off his bed. “It’s all right now, sir. I gotcha.” He wraps the General up in the blanket. “You did good coming here. Shh.” He scoops his General up for the second time that day.

“No! I’m not going back!” A pointy elbow catches Cody’s nose. Cody grimaces.

“It’s all right. Geez, those drugs really did a number on you, huh?” Cody rubs his thumb down Obi-Wan’s spine, soothing him. Obi-Wan relaxes with a huff.

“I fought them!” the Jedi says proudly, smiling like a cadet after his first pizza box.

“I bet you did, sir. All right. Here we go. Shh, sweetheart,” he adds, keeping Obi-Wan’s head from hitting the wall as they walk along to the medical center. Obi-Wan starts shaking. “I gotcha. I’m not leaving you again. Shh,” he soothes, hastening through the main entrance and heading for Kix’s office. Luckily, it’s only vode in the medical station. He reckons the nat borns are running for their lives. Technically, technically Kix is attached to the 501st. But he’s the most knowledgeable vod about the Jetiise. He’ll know what to do.

Obi-Wan relaxes again once Cody shuts the door. Kix’s office is equipped with an exam room, and a host of medical supplies. Cody sets him down on the table, bracing him a bit. Obi-Wan laughs, delirious, and Cody is grateful not all the drugs have worn off. Cody sits down on the table, next to his Jedi.

“I don’t think I’ve been this high since Quilan and I found the Someone Elsa’s Bar on a Twin Moon. Damn near drunk the place dry.” Obi-Wan giggles to himself. It’d be amusing, but Cody is watching pustules form as he’s speaking. The burns look bad. The General is not going to like being forced inside a tank, Cody thinks, but hopefully Kix will win that battle.

“I bet, sir. You have to tell me about it when you’re sober.”

“Oh, I-I’m perfectly sober, just high as a fucking kite, Cody.” Cody pats his unburned shoulder weakly. The General doesn’t swear much. Obi-Wan starts humming one of the old pirate shanties, _Banks of Sacramento_ , if Cody’s any judge, and yep, Obi-Wan’s started to sign the lyrics out loud.

“So off to the doctor I did go

Hoo dah, hoo dah.

Prick and balls I had to show.

Oh, hoo dah day.

Blow, boys, blow, for Californi-o.

There's plenty of grass to wipe your ass

On the banks of the Sacramento.

In come the doctor with a bloody big lance

Hoo dah, hoo dah.

Said, "Now, young sailor, I'll make ye dance."

Oh, hoo dah day.

Blow, boys, blow, for Californi-o.

There's plenty of grass to wipe your ass

On the banks of the Sacramento.

In come the nurse with a mustard poultice

Hoo dah, hoo dah.

She jammed it on, but I took no notice.

Oh, hoo dah day.

Blow, boys, blow, for Californi-o.

There's plenty of grass to wipe your ass

On the banks of the Sacramento.

Now I'm well and free from pain

Hoo dah, hoo dah.

If I meet that whore I'll fuck her again.

Oh, hoo dah day.

Blow, boys, blow, for Californi-o.

There's plenty of grass to wipe your ass

On the banks of the Sacramento.”

Cody firmly reminds himself that it is not appropriate to find this attractive, that the same man who regularly has philosophical debates not only knows bawdy pirate songs, but sings them in such a pleasing voice. Later, Cody promises himself, later you can find this attractive and funny. But for now, it is very cute, and more than a little worrisome.

By the end, Cody is propping up Obi-Wan and he keeps _singing_. Cody has never heard of Californi-o or Sacramento, but he’s heard it around the dorms enough times. “Steady, sir,” he murmurs. Kix comes in on the last line, eyebrows raised.

“You forgot to raise the sound proofing,” he gets told. “We can hear it out there.” Cody groans. Kix is forcefully cheerful. “It’s doing wonders for moral. All right, sir, let’s check you out.” Obi-Wan goes back to humming as Kix pulls on a fresh pair of latex gloves. But as soon as Kix reaches for him, the humming stops. Obi-Wan flinches and tries to get away. “Sir, I promise you, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“That’s what the last guys said.” There’s a worrying tremor to Obi-Wan’s lip, like he’s going to start crying again. Cody rubs his arm up and down the General’s back, avoiding the burns. “It _hurt_.” His voice cracks on the last word, and some levity comes over the General.

“Okay.” Kix steps back for a minute, considering the problem. Obi-Wan clearly needed to be in a bacta tank yesterday. Kix crouches down in front of the General, and smiles up at him. It looks pained to Cody, but he bets the Jetii can’t tell the difference. “I’m not them. You know me. I’m a stickler for consent, and I’m not doing anything to you without your consent, all right?” Warily, Obi-Wan nods. “That’s it, lad.”

“I’m older than you,” the Jedi Master mutters. Cody makes a mental note to never, ever let the Jedi get this high again. Or maybe just once a year.

“I know.” Reluctantly, Obi-Wan lets Kix do a swift exam. “All right, near as I can tell, they didn’t cut you open. I think they were trying to debreid your wounds. Is it all right if we do that, lad?”

“I-I guess. So long as you’re careful!” Three fucking sheets in the wind, even after two hours. Fuck only knows what he was dosed with. Adrenaline and Force had let him overcome it for a short time, but after finding Cody, the drugs had taken over and didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

“I will be,” Kix says seriously. “I promise.”

“Well . . . all right.” Obi-Wan lays down with a huff. “I wish Yoda was here. He could make the room stop spinning.”

“Hmm. I think time’s the cure for that.” Kix breaks out a kit. “Are you in any pain, sir?”

“No, I don’t think so. My limbs feel heavy.”

“Hm. Let me know if that changes.” Kenobi goes back to singing bawdy songs, and Kix cleans the wounds out. Cody can’t help but hum along, especially after Obi-Wan smiles at him.

“It hurts,” Kenobi says after twenty minutes. Kix nods and gives him a shot, after checking with the man. “Hm. Feels good,” Obi-Wan mumbles, stroking his arm up Cody’s. Cody grins a little.

“That’s ‘cause you’re high, sir.”

“Nooooo. I’m not high. Right, Kix? I’m sober!”

“Sure you are, sir. All right, that’s that done.” Kix pulls his gloves off and cleans up the supplies. “All right, General, I want you in a bacta tank.”

“No!” And because sometimes the Force is helpful, that’s when Anakin comes through the door. Obi-Wan cheers. “Ani! I’ve missed you!” Suddenly, Anakin has an armful of completely sober Jedi Master. “How’ve you been? How’s your wife-that I know nothing about?” Realizing that he’s neglecting Cody, Obi-Wan turns and waves. Cody waves back, amused.

“Obi-Wan, what-oh drugs.” Skywalker looks at Kix. “I caught the doc who did this. He didn’t realize how susceptible Obi-Wan is to that variety. He has been _dealt_ with. I was worried when they took him onto the command ship. They should have known better than to take him out of your care, Kix.”

“I hope you were mean to him,” Obi-Wan says. Clearly, Kix had gotten permission to give him more than pain killers. “He shouted at me.” Anakin ran his hands up and down the Jedi’s back. “And now Kix wants to drug me and intubate me, and I don’t want to.” He doesn’t sound like a petulant child, but a very scared man.

“It’s all right,” Anakin tells him.

“He ever been in a tank before?” Cody asks, still gripping Obi-Wan’s non-injured hand. He’s trying to figure out what trauma he doesn’t know. Cody has an idea it encompasses everything to do with Qui-Gon Jinn.

“No. Not that-”

“Yes I have. That time on Bespin.” Anakin’s eyes narrow. “They-well, you were out cold, I think. It doesn’t matter. There was also that time with Qui-Gon when he-nevermind. I don’t want to go.” The shaking has come back.

Anakin raises his eyebrows at Kix. Kix grimaces. “If he doesn’t go, he’d have permanent damage. I’ve been wanting to stick him in one for a while, but well . . . you try to corner him.” Anakin nods reluctant.

“Hey, boss,” Cody says, stroking the hand. He waits until Obi-Wan’s looking at him.

“I don’t trust you, you drugged me last time!”

“I know.” Cody holds out his free hand for Kix’s sedative. “But I was worried about you, and you weren’t listening to reason. Listen to me. Kix is a damn good medic, but you need some bacta-”

“So give me a patch!”

“A third of your body needs bacta. Look, I promise you, Kix knows what he’s doing. I trust him with my life. I trust him with your life.”

“You promise it’s not going to hurt?”

“I-” Cody hesitates- “there might be some discomfort, but not like earlier. Kix drugs Anakin all the time, remember? I bet Skywalker has cost the Republic a fortune in bacta tanks.” Obi-Wan isn’t swayed. “Look, I’ll be there the whole time, okay? I promise. I won’t leave until they pull you out.”

“I-okay.” Cody injects him with the sedative. In minutes, Obi-Wan Kenobi is passed out on the table. Cody meets Skywalker’s eyes. “You killed him, right?” he asks.

Anakin grimaces and then scowls. “No. But he’s in the brig, guarded by vode.”

“Oh?”

“Hmm. It’s very likely there will be an _incident_ in the near future. Something to do with an airlock. Very unfortunate.” Anakin runs a hand through his hair, looking down at Obi-Wan with something like regret. “The other doctors nearly killed him before I got there. I-I had no idea his padawan-ship was this fucked up. He only ever spoke good of Qui-Gon. Sithspit! I would’ve understood. Why didn’t he say anything?”

“It’s not his way,” Cody says, still not letting go of the hand, forcing Kix to move around him. He winces as Kix intubates the Jetii. “How long is he going in for?”

“A day at least. Hopefully we got to the damage in time. What were they thinking?!” Kix swears softly to himself. “Fucking nat borns and their need to prove themselves superior to the Jedi. I bet you he told them he’d wake up with that dosage. Hell, I bet-”

“He woke up because he was scared.” Anakin takes to leaning against the wall, resting his flesh hand on Obi-Wan’s foot. “I went to that OR. It’s going to require an exorcism to undo the Force signature.” He shudders. “I’ve never-it was bad. Damn. I thought his therapy was going well.”

“It bloody was!” Kix exclaims. “He was making great progress! Until those fuckers fucked it up!”

“Shh. You’ll wake him, and we’ll have to go through the whole thing again,” Anakin hisses. The blind leading the blind. Cody, for his part, stays silent. He has a feeling he’s going to be part of that _incident_. Later. Much later.

“All right,” Kix says. “Let’s get him to the tanks, and hooked up.” In short order, they have the General suspended in bacta. “Damn,” Kix says softly. “Damn. I need the good whiskey tonight. None of that bootleg crap from Left.”

“That I know nothing about,” Cody adds. “General, can you bring me some food and fresh clothes? I’m staying here tonight.”

“Of course. I think I’m staying too.”

They do, too. They spend the night in near silence. Both fall into meditating until afternoon, when Kix decides to pull the Jedi out. By then, Cody has come to an understanding that he does love this man, this impossible man, and he should do something about it. Obi-Wan is covered in gunk. Cody still thinks he’s one of the most beautiful men he’s ever seen, and Cody knows he has it bad.

“I want him on bedrest,” Kix says, still short and angry. Kix is not at all soothed by performing the standard checks. He’s also nursing a strong hangover. “But there’s no reason you can’t take him to his rooms when he wakes. Call me when he does, and I’ll remove the breathing tube. I’ll go back to avoiding the light now.” Cody smiles at his brother and thanks him in Manda’o.

“You should go and get some sleep,” Cody tells Anakin. “Or see to Tano. I bet she’s worried.”

“Hm. You’re probably right.” Anakin gets up and stretches, cracking his back in numerous places. “Comm if there are any problems.” Cody nods, and watches the Jetii leave. Cody thumbs through a book that Rex bought him. _I am the vice-president of panic and the president is missing_ is entirely too accurate. Rex also underlined and wrote “Kote” next to it. Rex is helpful like that. Cody snorts to himself.

“What’s funny?” is what Obi-Wan tries to ask, but there’s a tube down his throat. He tenses and tries to grab hold of something, and then he tries to grab hold of the tube. Cody blocks his hands, pinning his wrists to the bed.

“You’re all right,” Cody soothes. “It’s all right. You came out all right. Kix just didn’t want to take-quite that-the tube out.” Cody squeezes the captured wrists. “Now, are you going to behave?” He gets an eye roll for his trouble. “You still high?” Cody asks, releasing the hands to hit the button to call Kix. Another eye roll and a hand motion for sort of. Obi-Wan turns pink, remembering yesterday’s events. “It’s all right. You weren’t worse than the shinnies.”

“Hey, General. Let’s get this out,” Kix says cheerfully. “I want you to cough for me and keep coughing, all right?” In quick, upward pulls, Kix has the tube removed. “There you go. I bet that feels better. On your own time, sit up for me.” Obi-Wan does, and winces. “Don’t try to talk just yet. Your throat will feel sore. Let me know if you feel any pain. Any you in any pain now?” Obi-Wan shakes his head. “Let somebody know if that changes. I’m just going to do a quick exam.” Kix explains everything he’s going to do, and waits for Obi-Wan to agree before doing anything. Heart, lungs, eyes, and reflexes, and injuries are all examined. “Okay. I want you to wait an hour, and if you’re still feeling fine, Cody agreed to take you to your room. You’re on bedrest for the next 48 hours.” Obi-Wan huffs and sighs. “Or I can keep you for another 48? No. Okay.” Kix marches away, muttering things about Jetiise and how they can’t handle any emotional shit.

Obi-Wan smiles weakly. “Thank you,” he signs. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s no problem, sir. I wanted to help. I- . . . it’s an honor that you trust me. We’re friends, right? I would’ve done the same for Rex. Besides, at least I didn’t try to kill you again.”

Obi-Wan huffs at him. “ _You didn’t try to kill me_! The Sith tried to kill me,” gets signed with very sharp lines. Cody grins, biting his lip. “Oh for the love of! You don’t get to tease me about it!”

“Oh? I could always sing _On the Banks of Sacramento_.” Obi-Wan turns bright red. Cody laughs at him and goes back to his book, kicking his feet up on the bed. Obi-Wan loops his arm over them. Obi-Wan doozes, waiting the hour out patiently.

The next day, when Obi-Wan feels a lot better and is resting in his bed, Anakin comes calling. Cody, his self-appointed guard, excuses himself. Clearly something changed, and Cody trusted Anakin again. For a while there, after Obi-Wan’s nightmares, Cody had watched Anakin closely.

“How are you feeling?” his ex-apprentice asks, awkward and unsure.

“I’m all right. You okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I owe you an apology.” Obi-Wan sits up more. “I was wrong, that night when we were guarding Padme.”

“Master?”

“I told you that dreams pass with time. I-I told you the same thing that Qui-Gon told me. I hoped that you weren’t like me, and the Force was less kind with its gifts. I should have known better.”

“Obi-Wan, you couldn't-”

“I know what happened on Tatooine.”

“What?!” Anakin leaps back. Obi-Wan keeps his gaze locked with Anakin.

“You were dreaming about it one night, and I-I stepped away from my duty. I’m _sorry_. I failed you as a master, as a Jedi, as a _brother_.”

“Qui-Gon told you to ignore your dreams?!”

“Anakin, I . . . it doesn’t matter. The past has passed. I am deeply sorry for the harm that I caused you.”

“Master, you didn’t cause me any harm. You told me what you thought was best.”

“Did I? Or did I just repeat words that I never believed in? How much of your apprenticeship did I spend giving shit advice even when I _knew_ better. We get told to trust our instincts and I failed with you. I don’t-I owe you a debt that I will never be able to repay.”

“Obi-Wan, you don’t!” Anakin drops to his knees next to his master’s bed, shocked at the tears in Obi-Wan’s eyes.

“I never talked to you after Tattoine, or your relationship with Padme. We both claimed ignorance about a great many things, and called it fine. I must have made you feel like you couldn't come to me about serious matters. Gods know that if you Fell, it would be my fault.”

“Oh, so I have no choices in this?”

“What?”

“This delusion that you’ve created, I have no choices. I didn’t tell you about Padme. I didn’t tell you about Tatooine, or anybody apart from Padme for that matter. That’s on me, okay? Sure, you could’ve done better at teaching me meditation, but I was your rock that you had to keep pushing up a hill. I-you did the best you could in an impossible situation. I know you almost left the Order for me because the Council didn’t want to train me.”

“I-” Obi-Wan sighs, and some tears escape much to Anakin’s worry. “That wasn’t your doing. I promised Qui-Gon.”

“Hang on, when did you promise him?”

“You were his last thought.” The years have worn away the bitterness, but there’s still a trace-enough for Anakin to catch it. “Besides, we need to talk about Padme and Tatooine.”

“Oh, yeah. Right.” Shit. Anakin moved and sat on the stool. “Are you going to report me to the Council?”

“Not for Padme. We’re talking about that another time. You killed innocent women and children!” Anakin feels his stomach full out.

“I did.” Anakin scrubs his face. “I-I enjoyed it, Obi-Wan. Please, help me.”

“Right. You need to talk to the Council. You will need to talk to a therapist.”

“Okay. Will you . . . will you be there when I tell the Council?”

“Of course.” Obi-Wan takes hold of Anakin’s hands. “I won’t leave you, Anakin.”

“What do you think will happen to Ahsoka?”

“I’m hoping that they’ll put the both of you on temple duty for a few months, give you both a break.”

“Will she have to know, what I did?”

“In light of my biggest mistake not being open with you about my own faults, it would be a good idea. She might find out from somebody else.” Anakin nods, shaking. “Come here. We haven’t done this in a while.” Obi-Wan pulls him into a hug and pulls him so that he’s half on the bed. “It will be fine.” Anakin nods into his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry I failed you, Obi-Wan.”

“I know. I am disappointed in you, in your actions, but I will not abandon you.”

It takes a three hour long argument, but Obi-Wan succeeds in his goal with the Council. He gets them both stationed at Coruscant for the next two months. After which, Obi-Wan will return to the front, and Anakin will stay for another six months. The Council had agreed that while Anakin’s actions were horrific and unsuitable as a Jedi, they are responsible for his teaching, meaning that they are all to blame. Anakin would have to attend daily sessions with the mind-healer, be on restricted duties, and only allowed in certain of the Jedi Temple, but they would not excommunicate him. Obi-Wan had to say firmly that if they did he would leave as well. Obi-Wan did not tell the Jedi Council about his dreams, but he did tell Mace and Yoda in confidence.

Obi-Wan had given such an elegant defense of his friend, a brutal, but just one that the Council had decided to not separate Ahsoka from Anakin. Although, they all knew who was the good influence in that pair. Ahsoka had cried herself to sleep in Obi-Wan’s arms when Anakin told her, but she had forgiven him.

He also managed to get Cody, Rex, and many of the men who had been on the frontlines for too long stationed with them.

“Do you regret it?” Obi-Wan asks Anakin, late one night in Obi-Wan’s quarters.

“Hm?”

“Your marriage to Padme?”

“I-no. I love her more with each day. But I-I am finding it difficult to balance that love with attachment. I-I think I will leave the Order when this war is finished. The Jedi Code is not for me, I think.” Anakin smiles. It’s not bitter, but understanding. “I am grateful that I have lived this life.”

“Hm. A wise decision.”

“And you? You love Cody, I know you do.” Obi-Wan wasn’t going to deny it.

Cody still slept in Obi-Wan’s bed. And every day, Obi-Wan felt like he was taking advantage of his friend, getting something that Cody had not consented to. Luckily, he had started to see a mind-healer as well.

“I don’t know. After Satine, I did not think I would have to question the Code and love again. But that, is a matter for tomorrow. Good night, my friend.”

“Good night, Obi-Wan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that got it's rating, because of the song and the songs I listened to. Link:https://www.horntip.com/mp3/2000s/2004_salty_dicks_uncensored_sailor_songs_(CD)/15_christopher_columbo.htm
> 
> That one's on Columbus and I highly recommend it. Just wow.
> 
> I know I don't really explain Obi-Wan's medical trauma. That will be covered in next chapter, provided I write it. The odds are favorable.
> 
> Update: I want to thank the folks who responded about my shitty formatting. Turns out I'm a moron and the thing I found does work. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/19eZnBQ4989Dr17v2ODFgE8QWAo9Oahi4USDNS3hOSvM/edit) Go to file, make a copy. There are instructions. So yeah. Part of it was I didn't realize until midnight that it's DOUBLE spacing. Like I send dyslexic + formating=not good.


	4. Qui-Gon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan works through a lot of things in this chapter.

Obi-Wan does not grimace at his mind-healer, although he would very much like to. Zin Ge'tela looked back at him with great patience that Obi-Wan can feel it brimming over, waiting for the Jedi to answer the question. Zin was taken to the Jedi Temple when he was a child, going against Bothan tradition. After having lived at the Temple for many years, Zin decided that the Code was not for him, and he wanted to serve in another way.

“I am not angry at Qui-Gon,” is what Obi-Wan finally settles on. He tries to make his tone undefensive, and nearly manages it.

“He asked you to pick up a great burden, one that many knights did not think they would be capable of.”

“You know this? For certain?”

“I have ears, Obi-Wan.” Zin smiles at him. Temple gossip is a favorite pastime for many living there.

“I am not angry at Qui-Gon. I regret that I failed him.”

“Why do you think you failed him?”

“That day in the power factory, if I had been just a touch quicker. Qui-Gon would not have faced Darth Maul alone.”

Zin thinks for a long moment. What else has Qui-Gon done to the boy? “Would you have done the same?” Obi-Wan raises his eyebrows. “Would you have left Anakin or Ahsoka alone and attacked a Sith Lord alone?”

“I-no.” There’s defeat and understanding in the Jedi’s tone. “I would not have,” he concludes. “Anakin lost his hand because he rushed Dooku.” His voice is soft enough that Zin almost has to lean in to hear it. Zin decides to leave it. The Jedi are too good at self-reflection. Sometimes it makes his job easier, sometimes it makes it harder.

“Now, what else weighs on your mind about Qui-Gon?”

“I failed Anakin.” Zin tilts his head, waiting for Obi-Wan to add more to that statement. “He almost Fell because I was not brave enough to share my own faults, and give him adequate support.”

“You seem very attached to him.”

“Attachment is forbidden.” It’s an automatic response.

“Is it? Possession is forbidden. Attachment which leads to possession, which leads to fear is forbidden. Affection is not forbidden.” Obi-Wan leans back, and Zin gives a self-deprecating smile. “But of course, I am no Jedi. However-” Obi-Wan knew that was coming- “it seems to me that your attachment towards Anakin has kept him from the darkside. Without you, he would have no mentor to call on. Without you, his feelings and emotions would go unchecked. It seems that you provide a strong friendship to ground him.”

“I-I’ll have to meditate on this.” Good, Zin thinks, you do that. “Cody. I have hurt Cody.”

“Hm. Did he forgive you?”

“Yes, but I don’t deserve it! I gave my men nightmares for months, not realizing the harm I was doing until it was too late!”

“Too late for what? Were they mentally scared by it? Have they asked for a transfer or acted negatively toward you?” Obi-Wan shakes his head. He and Cody have talked to the ones most effected by the dreams. They had rallied around their General, and only spoke of their concern that he dreamt such terrible things. “Do the Jedi not have younglings that project too strongly on non-Force beings?” Obi-Wan reluctantly nods his head. “You found out. You took steps to solve the problem.” Zin waves a hand, encompassing them being here. “Do you feel that you pressed Cody into a friendship?”

“No, but surely he is uncomfortable with the bond.”

“Ah, you’ve asked him then?” Obi-Wan doesn’t answer. “Hm. I find your tendency to assume others’ feelings worrying, Obi-Wan. You should ask your _friend_ for clarification.”

“But he’d only say that he was glad to do it!”

“Then you must take him at his word, and trust that if it changes, he will tell you,” Zin says firmly, fixing his eyes on Obi-Wan, needing him to believe him. “Doing otherwise, jumping to conclusions, is an act of distrust.” Zin checked the clock. “Our time is almost up. How has your work with the garden been going?”

After Obi-Wan had confessed his fear that he should have been a farmer and not a Jedi, Zin had smiled and suggested that he should try it. Why not? the mind-healer had asked. This way he would know for sure which path was his to walk. Besides, growing things is good therapy and a rewarding practice.

“It’s good. I do not think I want to make a living of it, but I have enjoyed my time in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. I’ll see you in three days.” Obi-Wan stood, and bowed to the mind-healer before leaving.

He spends the rest of the day in deep mediation, trying to sort through all his feelings, trying to understand what he wants from Cody, from Anakin, and for him in life. He could leave the Order, abandon every tenant he holds dear. But he knows that if he loved Cody, even if it did not impede his way of life and his interpretation of the Code, he would fundamentally be going against how the Council interrupts the Code.

Anakin joins him eventually in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

“Rough session?” he asks once Obi-Wan resurfaces from his mediation.

“Yes.” 

“The Council is in a flurry over something. They’ve been for the past few days.” Obi-Wan grimaces. Despite Obi-Wan’s position, he is often left out, and Anakin has taken an ‘us/them’ mentality. 

Before, he can ask what rumors Anakin has heard, Mace Windu appears in the room. They get to their feet. They watch as Mace hurries towards them. “Mace?” Obi-Wan asks, concerned over the turbulence of Mace’s emotions.

“I do not agree with the Council’s decision, but I was overruled. You are both wanted in the medical center.” They hurry after him. “We don’t know how it happened. Obi-Wan, brace yourself.”

“From what?” Obi-Wan tries to ask, but the words die in his throat. Qui-Gon Jinn stands before him.

Despite everything (maybe because of everything), Obi-Wan carries his lightsaber with him. It’s lit and at his ex-master’s throat before he can think. “Who are you?” he asks. Anakin has his lit has well, following his brother’s lead.

“I am as I have always been: Qui-Gon Jinn. Who are you?”

Obi-Wan pushes his panic down until it’s not there. He ignores Anakin’s concern ringing across their bond. “You are not Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon died in my arms. You are a shade sent by the Sith.”

“Enough, that is.” Yoda walks forward with his stick clicking away. “Qui-Gon, we have tested. Before you, Qui-Gon stands. Accept this, you must.”

“I will not.” Obi-Wan’s hands are steady as they hold the blade against the shade’s throat. “This is a trick, Master Yoda.”

“Obi-Wan?” the shade asks in his dead master’s voice.

“Tell me something that only you and I know.”

“I met with Satine months later, when we were reading over Galactic bills submitted to the Senate. She told me that you would have left the Jedi Order for her, that you told her this.”

Obi-Wan calmly deactivates his lightsaber. “It is him. As I was not informed, this matter does not concern me.” He then walks out of medical, leaving the Council gazing after him. Some of their jaws are on the floor.

Qui-Gon nods to himself, rallies, and then turns to Anakin. “You must be Anakin, all grown up!”

Anakin looks at him, and thinks of all the nights he sat up with his brother, The ones after therapy sessions, or sparing, or having to deal with medics, or-well, the list goes on. Anakin deactivates his lightsaber.

“I am happy to finally meet you,” he says, which makes no sense as they have met before. Qui-Gon ignores that and goes to hug the man. A mistake.

Anakin rears back his hand while Qui-Gon is smiling at him with something akin to pride, and slams his metal hand into Qui-Gon Jinn’s jaw, knocking the Jedi out cold.

Anakin does not wait to see where the Jedi falls, too busy hurrying after his friend. He didn’t have to look hard. Obi-Wan was having a sound panic attack two hallways away from the med center. Anakin crouches next to him. “S-s-sorry,” Obi-Wan stutters.

“It’s all right, master. Come on, let’s get you back to your room.” He pulls Obi-Wan up, and escorts the man back to Obi-Wan’s rooms. Anakin sits Obi-Wan down at the table, comms Cody, knowing the other man has to be worried. He then starts making tea, because Obi-Wan Kenobi raised him. Obi-Wan pulls the weighted blanket over his shoulders, and sips at the tea, slowly coming back to himself.

“Are you all right?” he asks, concerned about how Qui-Gon affected Anakin.

“Oh, I’m fine.” Anakin looks delighted, holding a bag of frozen vegetables to his hand.

“Why are you icing your hand?”

“Justice. Drink your tea.”

“Anakin, did you hit something? I know Qui-Gon being alive is a shock to us all-” Cody came in time to hear those words and immediately guessed what Anakin hit- “but surely there’s no reason to hit things.”

“Sorry, Master.”

“Jate’bora.” Good job. Anakin had heard the phrase enough to translate the meaning. Cody and Anakin exchange smirks and nods, much to Obi-Wan’s bewilderment.

“What?” Obi-Wan asks. “Anakin, did you do something?”

“Me? _Do something_?”

“Anakin.” Anakin’s teeth clench. Looking at his ex-padawan’s stubborn face and Cody’s grinning one, Obi-Wan gets it. “You punched Qui-Gon!”

“Damn right he did!” Cody crows. He pours himself a cup of tea. “And don’t you go making him feel guilty, Obi-Wan. I would’ve done it if he hadn’t. I still might,” he adds, a slip of the tongue.

“You will not! Anakin shouldn’t-” Obi-Wan breathes in and out in deep breaths. “He should not have done it.”

“I don’t regret it.” Anakin drinks some of his tea. “He _hurt_ you.”

“Jedi use words.”

“Jedi,” Anakin corrects, “use the appropriate tool. He looked at me with pride, Master, while he looked at you like you were a wayward youngling. He. Hurt. You.”

“Fine. I don’t like it. But thank you.”

Obi-Wan had long talks with Zin about his need to “not accept help from anybody when he had been hurt.” Direct quote. Zin, for all his smiles and polite tea drinking ways, knows how to land a direct hit. Cody loves Zin. Cody might, if he was not in love with a moron, take Zin out in thanks.

“You’re welcome.” After yet another exchange of looks that Obi-Wan is too tired to translate. “Now, I’m going home to see Padme.”

The Jedi Council, after a lot of arguing, had agreed to not try to keep Anakin from seeing his wife. It might have come down to _well, I’m very famous and we can be a lot less discrete and you can’t really stop me_ confrontation.

“I got this,” Cody murmurs as Anakin passes by him. Anakin never had any doubt.

Anakin nods and leaves. He runs into Qui-Gon coming over. Anakin grins at the bruise coming in on the Jedi’s face. It is going to be _marvelous_. Anakin leans against the doorway. Jinn stops.

“I wish to see Obi-Wan.”

“Too bad.”

“It is his right to refuse me, not yours!”

“Hm. Like I said, too bad.”

Obi-Wan sticks his head out the door, clearly getting past Cody. “Anakin, it’s fine.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Anakin.” Anakin meets Obi-Wan’s eyes. “I have this in hand. Go see your friend.” Anakin thinks about arguing, but _if you argue with me, it will diminish my statue to Qui-Gon. Go, please_ comes through the bond. Anakin leaves, grumpy the whole way home. “Now, Master Jinn, I unfortunately have plans for the rest of my day.” Obi-Wan steps out, dragging Cody along after him with a touch to the vod’s arm. “Good day.”

Obi-Wan takes them to the salles. Cody frowns at him, wondering if he’s really up to spar. Obi-Wan hesitates, before picking up two practice light sabers, flicking the settings to the lowest. He recognizes that his head isn’t in the game. Cody catches one when thrown in his direction.

Cody had been the student of a bored Skywalker and Kenobi for the past few months. He’d also started helping out at the creche, and learning more about the Force. Rex would never stop giving him shit for allowing younglings to swarm him that one time. Cody knows his way around a lightsaber for a Force-null. Obi-Wan doesn’t think Cody is a null, not with how often his lightsaber ends up in the vod’s possession, but that argument is for another day.

All that means is it takes Obi-Wan ten minutes to disarm him instead of thirty seconds. Cody looks at him, panting, and doesn’t see a Jedi or a hurt man or the mess that the Council would proclaim him to be. Cody sees somebody who gets up after being knocked down a thousand times with such grace. Cody shakes his head to clear it.

“Grapple?”

Obi-Wan grins at him, turns off both lightsabers, and tosses them to the other side of the room. They’re even without lightsabers. Cody dodges Obi-Wan’s unnaturally sharp elbow, and sweeps the Jetii’s leg. “Oof,” Obi-Wan murmurs as he hits the mat, and then springs on Cody, trying to get a lock on his elbow.

Suddenly they’re chest to chest, body to body, and Cody finds that it’s not only his cock that’s interested in the proceedings. There’s a beat where they’re pressed too closely to not know that this isn’t touch starvation or a “natural reaction” or whatever excuse they would try to find. Cody’s eyes fall to the Jetii’s lips, almost against his will, and that breaks the moment. Obi-Wan springs back, pushing them apart with the Force. Cody, trusting his instincts, tackles the Jetii again, and successfully pins him.

“Hey! Hey! We’re okay,” Cody growls, pinning his guy to the mat. “Stop fighting. We’re fine!”

“Feels a little stranger danger,” Obi-Wan mutters. Cody blinks at him. “Anakin,” he explains, “and also Ahsoka.” He’s clearly ready to babble.

“Hey, I’m serious. We’re okay.”

Obi-Wan shakes his head, but stops trying to throw the pin. “It’s not. Jedi are supposed to be above this.”

“Hm. So that’s why you strip down to spar?”

“I get hot.” Obi-Wan doesn’t even shout his side to the argument. “Also, were you ever going to tell me what it wasn’t Boil who wants to kriff me?”

“Oh, so now we’re talking about it?”

“Apparently. Cody, let me up.” Cody does, kneeling in front of Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan groans and flops on his back. “I’m too emotionally drained for this conversation.”

“Hm.”

“You know we can’t-I can’t, right?”

“Passion, yet serenity.”

That’s not fair, Obi-Wan thinks. He’s too hot when quoting the Code. Stop it! Think about Yoda, he reprimands himself. “We can’t. There’s a war on.”

“There’s always going to be a war on. Besides, I’m not emotionally prepared for this conversation. Can we just rain check it?”

Cody never thought the General would be a coward, and he doesn’t think it now. “All right. After the war is over.”

“Oh, I don’t think we need to wait that long,” Obi-Wan says dryly, “I was thinking some time next week.”

“All right. Any idea what you’re going to do about your old master?”

“Nope. He’s not the villain, you know?” Cody doubts it. Obi-Wan scoffs, sensing his friend’s emotions. “He’s not. He’s a sentinant and he makes mistakes.”

“He left you in a war zone.” Cody’s tone is patient, steady.

“He didn’t have a choice.”

“Hm.”

“Fine,” Obi-Wan concedes. “He had a choice and he made a shitty one. So what? I’m still alive.”

“If that’s good enough for you, good. I’m happy, no really, I mean it. I’m happy for you if that’s enough. But he hurt you, and you were a child in his care. You’ve told me almost every single day that I’m sentient, that I matter, and deserving of choice, of safety, of _love_.” Cody’s voice breaks on the last word, and Obi-Wan sits up, but whatever was on Cody’s face is gone. “Jinn did not give you the same respect.” Obi-Wan’s face flinches at that. Cody regrets that he doesn’t know how to do this in a kind way. Amadala or Ahsoka could’ve. Maybe. “But you’re the one who was hurt. If you can forgive him, then I’m happy for you. I’m the friend, I get to hold a grudge until the day I die.”

“That simple, huh?”

“Yeah.” Cody runs his thumb along Obi-Wan’s knee, trying to comfort him. “It’s as easy as you make it, cyar'ika.”

“I ever tell you why I know Mando’a?” Cody shakes his head. “There was this mission when I was still a padawan. We were sent to ensure peace during a Civil War on Mandalore. I fell in love.” Cody just keeps rubbing his thumb. “Her name is Satine. She was everything I wasn’t. A politician. A peacekeeper. A pacifist.” Obi-Wan smiles sadly. “I fell in love with her. I would have left the Order if she asked me to. That’s what Qui-Gon chose to reference today to prove that he is who he says he is. He referenced that I was a poor Jedi, one who on two occasions chose attachment over the Code. The Jedi dismissed me when I was thirteen, too old to be taken as a padawan. Because of Yoda, I ended up on the same transport as Qui-Gon. He took me in, gave me a home, taught me. He left me to die so often for the sake of the mission.” There are tears in Obi-Wan’s eyes. Cody doesn’t move, doesn’t want to break this spout of honesty and grief. “He threw me away for Anakin, for the Chosen One.” Obi-Wan smiles bitterly. “I don’t think he ever thought I’d make it as a Jedi. Qui-Gon always took in pathetic life-forms. I-I . . . I was one of them.”

Cody folds Obi-Wan into a hug, letting the man cry into his shoulder, adding to the older sweat soaked tunic. He runs his hands down the man’s back, kneading sore muscles. He hums the Banks of Sacramento, getting a weak laugh from Obi-Wan in between the man’s tears. Cody runs his fingers through the Jedi’s hair, humming an old orchestra piece that Obi-Wan often plays when they can’t sleep. Slowly, Obi-Wan stops crying.

“You,” Cody says fiercely, holding the man by the shoulders so they can see each others’ eyes. “Are not pathetic. You are a marvelous Jedi, poet, soldier, buir to Anakin, ba'buir to Ahsoka, and a fierce, _fierce_ friend. You are _not_ pathetic. I will not have you talking that way about the best man I know.”

“You don’t know enough people,” Obi-Wan tries to joke, giving a watery smile.

“I know enough,” Cody says firmly. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Fresher and bar. I bet Quinlan and Bant are around. Didn’t they just return from the front? And Anakin and his wife ought to be done by now. That boy doesn’t have stamina unlike _some_.”

Obi-Wan snorts. “How would you even-no, no I don’t want to know.” Cody steers Obi-Wan out of the salle. Neither of them see Master Qui-Gon Jinn lurking in the shadows with tears running down his face.

That night, Obi-Wan gets responsibly plastered, sitting between Anakin and Cody. Ahsoka has virgin drinks all night long under the very watchful eyes of Cody, Rex, Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan. He’s swaying and laughing, and it suddenly hits him like Force lightning to the chest.

“Anakin!” he calls over the thrum of the music, forgetting that his ex-apprentice is right next to him.

“Right here!”

“It’s Palpatine.”

“What? Where?” Anakin is also suitably drunk, and laughing a bit.

“The Sith Lord, it’s Palpatine.”


	5. Romance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> explicit sex

At Obi-Wan’s words, the others start to sober up. They start to plan. Before the night is over, they have a plan laid out among condiments and napkins and intricate code.

It goes down like a lead balloon by the time it all comes out. But it takes weeks, weeks of planning, covert meetings, _spying_. It takes four months, and as more secretes come to light, Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan at one point has to play dead, and tells _no one_. Nobody, nobody, is ever going to let either of those clusterfucks go.

Qui-Gon Jinn kills his Master, Yan Dooku in a battle that ballads will sing about for another thousand years. All Obi-Wan can see at the end is a defeated man. Qui-Gon won, but he lost a foot. By then, Palpatine was buried so deeply in the Senate that it took nothing less than a full trial to dig him out.

In all the days that follow, Obi-Wan will never forget the falling pods in the great senate room, dropping from the air, Force pushed at him, Anakin, and Mace Windu. He won’t be able to forget the one that lands on his leg, shattering the bone. He will never forget holding on just barely to keep one of the pods from falling on Anakin.

He, nor any of those there, will ever forget the sight of Yoda giving his life to distract Palpatine from the killing blow.

Palpatine dies at the hands of Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker.

It comes out in the end, all the lies and manipulations, chased out of the shadows, torched by Padme Amadila. She is the one who presented the case to the Senate. She is also the one that Palpatine had tried to use to manipulate Skywalker. Luckily, it didn’t work.

Obi-Wan stays at the Temple, hoping to help them rebuild. Order 66 had destroyed them. Even with all their preparation, and Obi-Wan deactivating the code within minutes, it had gone out.

Thirty-three vode had died. Seven Jetiise were killed. Rex has stopped speaking entirely except to Ahsoka. She came back to the Temple the second she realized what had happened, dragging Rex with her. He’d gotten several shots off, and one of her right montreal had been burned. Neither of them leave Anakin’s side. The clones haven’t returned, too shocked and scared. Mace Windu and Plo Koon had been in contact with the missing regiments. In the aftermath, Padme and Organa had pushed through the Clone Bill, Amendment 66, that have them full citizen rights under the Republic.

Ob-Wan had spent the past few weeks trying to comfort Jedi, contact clones, and start figuring out how the Order will move forward. He was taking advantage of Jedi realizing that suppressing their emotions was not really how the Code was supposed to be interpreted, and pushing for a formal reform of the Code.

Cody doesn’t let Obi-Wan out of his sight. “This is far from necessary,” Obi-Wan tells him out of the corner of his mouth.

“Hm.” Cody’s Jetii had tried to take on a Sith Lord without him, and he’s still unsteady with the new leg. They’ll argue what is _necessary_ later.

Obi-Wan doesn’t sigh, but smiles at the arriving delegation. “Duchess.” Satine smiles and allows him to kiss her hand. “It is good to have you.”

He wanted her help with integrating those who wanted into Mandalore culture in a respectful manner. Cody had laughed at him, but Obi-Wan thought it was a good idea. The vode, after all, might want some peace. Rex had snorted and said something along the lines of “you think the vode will leave the Jetiise? Never.” Still. Obi-Wan wanted to make peace with Satine.

He hadn’t accounted for Darth Maul.

The Sith hadn’t accounted for Obi-Wan though.

“I know where you’re from. I’ve been to your village. I know the decision to join the Dark Side wasn’t yours. The Night Sisters made it for you.”

The words are not said when Maul has Satine by the throat in a Mandalorian throne room. Instead they’re murmured softly, an apology, in a bar in the lower levels of Coruscant. And Maul is just tired; he’s lost everything over the past few weeks. The Seperatist movement is dying. The Jedi are _changing_.

“I hated you, you know.” Maul smiles at himself. “I thought I’d be the one to kill you.”

“Ah. Well, I mean . . . you can certainly try, but I would rather let by gones be by gones.”

“I killed your master.”

“Turns out, he wasn’t a very good one. Still, that wasn’t a very good thing to do.”

“Maybe I’m not very good.”

“Maybe you never had a choice.” Obi-Wan’s wary, will probably always remember being twenty-five and watching his mentor die. “But you have one now.” He believes in second chances, in his adamant faith that Anakin will not turn Darkside, that he will find a way to balance. He can give Maul that same hope.

Maul grimaces. “Still hate you.”

“You do that.”

There are two sides to the debate of “should we allow a known Darksider to walk freely after he very much killed a Jedi Master?” On one side there’s the Council, some of the Senate, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Anakin Skywalker. Anakin and Qui-Gon are both very grumpy that they’re on the same side, and Anakin is very much thinking about defecting. On the other side there’s everybody else. Everybody else wins.

Cody thinks the “he killed a Jedi Master” argument is negated because it was Qui-Gon Jinn, and everybody loves his General more. It also puts Cody firmly in the camp “redemption is for everybody.”

“He could turn Dark! Become a Sith Lord and come after you!” Anakin argues when it’s Obi-Wan, him, and Ahsoka.

“Yes, well, I don’t think he will.”

“I think he’s trying to be good,” Ahsoka says quietly. She’s grown up over the past two years, in the past four months. Anakin understands why she will not come back to the Temple, but it rubs on him. “We are not judge, jury, and executioner of the soul. It is in us to be the better person.”

“It sounds like you memorized Obi-Wan’s speeches,” Anakin says. He sighs. “Fine, but I don’t like it.”

“Hm. Do you like anything?” Obi-Wan asks, chuckling. “Besides, it’s no riskier than any of your plans.”

Anakin grumbles, but the Darksider ends up staying at the Temple. Rex holds out until he sees Maul smiling as a youngling crawls all over him, touching his tattoos. After that, the Council shuts up as well. Their attention is focused on Obi-Wan ripping apart the Code with single-minded determination. Anakin’s attention returns to his wife who’s pregnant with twins. Cody is very, very grateful that neither he nor Obi-Wan can get pregnant because it sounds highly stressful, although also wonderful.

Somehow without knowing how or why, Cody starts becoming friends with Satine. “The Clones deserve equal rights,” she barks at a politician with her hands almost clenched. Pacifist doesn’t mean push-over. “And they shall have them under Mandalorian Law.”

She’s beautiful, Cody thinks. He watches her debates in the Senate because Obi-Wan was worried about the threat to her. Even now, there are still Seperatist attacks. Anakin is cutting them down with a ruthlessness that says he desperately wants to be at Padme’s side. But they are still coming. Satine’s eyes flash as another senator tries to pick apart her argument.

“They are property under the Republic!”

“Not anymore. Not after Penal Code 66, which was signed into law.”

Maul grins next to him, looking at Satine. “She’s beautiful,” he says.

“Careful. Obi-Wan is a close friend of hers.”

“Hm.” Maul shrugs. “He hasn’t killed me yet. Besides, I have my eyes on someone else.”

Cody stares at him for a moment, but realization strikes. “Anakin will kill you,” he says flatly.

“Hm. What will happen, will happen.” Maul, who did not want to give up the second half of his name-thank you very much, had started therapy under a non-Jedi healer. He was doing rather well by all accounts. Cody hadn’t realized that he’d gone insane. “Don’t worry,” Maul says, “I’ll leave your General to you.”

“Hm.”

Obi-Wan was back to avoiding that particular topic, but Cody has a feeling he knows why the Jedi’s working so hard to get the Council to return to the old Code. They were still sleeping together in the most platonic sense, although mornings had gotten more interesting. Similarly, Cody was avoiding what he was going to do when the War was really, truly over. Mustafar was one of the last strongholds of the War, and Anakin had gone to get the remaining Separatists' surender.

“What are you going to do after the war?” Maul asks, watching as Satine’s pod floats back. A whole section of the Senate’s pods was whipped out from the battle, which meant that representatives were sharing pods. It can only mean more cooperation, according to Obi-Wan. Cody listens to Obi-Wan come up behind them, and stands at Cody’s shoulder. The bond has been very helpful in predicting his Jedi’s movements. Cody always knows where he’s at and his general mental state.

“I don’t know. Anakin wants to start a school.”

“Huh?”

“Hm. He wants a school for the inbetweeners, and for those too old to be taken in by the Council. He’s gotten Mace Windu on his side, along with Plo Koon.”

“Really?”

“Hm. Ahsoka’s the one who got him onto the idea.”

“And Padme?” Cody shrugs. He doesn’t know. “So you’ll go to this school?”

Recent events had led to Anakin proudly proclaiming his marriage to the Senator, with her permission of course. With everything going on, it wasn’t the gossip that it would have been earlier, but everybody was still talking about it. Anakin argued that it was important to share happy news in these dark times. Rex had shaken his head and cursed up a storm in Mando’a.

“I like helping in the creche,” Cody says, quiet. Obi-Wan starts at his shoulder. They haven’t talked younglings. “What Anakin is proposing seems kinder, seems better in some ways. Satine is trying to give clones rights under Mandalore. Old Mandalorians adopted younglings, and raised them to a Code. I now come from three cultures that believe the same.”

“The Clones have a Code?”

“Never let Skywalker pilot a ship,” Cody says pertly, smiling. Obi-Wan knocks shoulders with him, and almost over balances. Cody nudges him back, catching him. The General’s new leg still troubles him. Cody shrugs. “Rex wants to go and help Anakin.” Obi-Wan blinks at that. Rex hasn’t said anything, but Cody knows his vod. “Once everything has died down of course. Currently, Rex is with Anakin.”

“Hm.”

Cody looks at the Jedi. “You all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Kix see you today?” Kix is very happily still in charge of Obi-Wan’s rehabilitation. It’s entirely possibly that Obi-Wan’s taking apart the Code with glee because he desperately wants to be with Anakin, guarding his back. Obi-Wan grimaces in answer. “Hm.”

“It’s fine.”

“I didn’t say anything, did I? Come on.” They leave Maul to watch after Satine, and Cody alerts a few vode of the situation.

“It’s fine.”

“Sure, dear.”

Cody leaves Obi-Wan in Kix’s care, and goes to Yoda’s statue. The Jedi do not believe in burying bodies. They cremate them. The memory of the funeral gates rattles through Cody’s mind, but he steels himself and sits in front of the statue. He falls into a deep meditation. Hours later, Obi-Wan comes for him. Cody blinks his eyes open and smiles at his Jedi.

“Do you know what you want to do?” Obi-Wan asks. Only his hands underneath his sleeves give away his nervousness.

Cody gets up smoothly. “I would like to help Rex with Anakin’s school. I think a lot of vode would too. I want to be with you.” Cody licks his lips. “In whatever way you’ll have me.”

“Oh. I-I see.”

Cody waits to see if he’s going to say anything else, but he doesn’t. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I-Jedi were peacekeepers, you know? We used to travel the galaxy, have temples all over, _help people_. I want to do that I think.”

“You didn’t get enough traveling from the war?”

“Apparently not. I don’t . . . I don’t expect you to come with me or-”

“I go where you go,” Cody says firmly. “I can help Anakin and Rex from a distance, and I bet you’re going to want some downtime in between saving planets.”

“I might not be able to give you what you want,” Obi-Wan says slowly, shakily almost with his heart in his throat. “I am still Jedi.”

“How could I ask you to be anything else when it’s you I fell in love with?” Cody rubs at the back of his neck, and tries to remember what he’s told Rex in bars. “I saw you on Kamino, you know? When you first came and were all soaking wet, and beautiful. I know that your Order forbids attachment, and I know your stance on it.” Obi-Wan often read through his arguments in their rooms. “I love you because you’re _you_ , being a Jedi is as part of you as being a clone is part of me. I would never ask you to change that.”

“I came close to leaving the Order three times in my life.”

Cody nods. He isn’t surprised. Being a Jedi is more than belonging to the Order, and Obi-Wan has a rebellious streak a mile wide. “What happened?”

“Medida/Daraan. Satine. Anakin.”

“Hm.”

“Quite. I would leave the Order if you asked me to.”

“It is your choice and yours alone, Obi-Wan.” It’s enough for them. The future will come, and with it, more things to work through, but for now . . . it’s more than enough.

Cody goes back to guarding Satine while Obi-Wan is in the Council’s chambers. He watches her argue, and suddenly gets why it didn’t work out between the two. Satine is horrible at compromising, and Obi-Wan compromises too much.

“You don’t like me very much, do you Commander?” Satine asks him during a recess.

“No, I actually like you a great deal.”

“Oh?”

“Hm. I see why Obi-Wan’s still in love with you.”

Satine freezes. Hell, if Obi-Wan was here, he’d deny it too. “He’s not,” she says, showing Cody that she knows her lines.

Cody shrugs. “I know him. I know what it looks like when he’s trying to deny his feelings.”

“Because he’s in love with you.”

“Hm. We fell in love with a moron.” Cody looks at her for a minute. “How can you love a warrior when you so pacifist.”

“Pacifist doesn’t mean doormat,” she says firmly. “It means fighting should be the absolute last resort.”

“Who’s weapon is his word,” Cody murmurs.

“Huh?”

“Oh, it’s from a poem I think. Obi-Wan was reading it the other night. Doesn’t matter. I love him too much to not want to get to know you better,” is what he settles on. “I-do you know the old Mandalorian view of marriage?”

“Yes. The more love, the better. Stronger tribe, better warriors, it takes a village to raise a family. I’ve read the histories,” she says with an offended tone. Cody thinks it’s pretty lucky that he’s going to be the easy going one in this relationship.

“Yeah. Well, I figure you seem decent and Obi-Wan needs all the love he can get.”

“You’re going to _let_ -” there’s derision there like Cody would let anybody do anything and that Obi-Wan needs his permission- “to what? Fuck me? For fun and as a way to spice up your bedroom?”

“Hm. I meant that we should try dating.”

“You’re asking me out on a date?”

“I-yes.” Cody never, ever said he’d be emotionally sound one of this. He doesn’t think any of them really are. Maybe Satine.

“Oh. _Oh_. Are you actually interested in me?”

Cody thinks back to all the times he watched her argue, watched her face glow with passion. He’s seen her fight too. Once, an attack got through. He’d tossed her a blaster, but she pulled a knife out of nowhere and gut a man who gave her no choice. Maybe she’d be horrified if she knew he was attracted to that, but Satine is a warrior with her words and her actions. Cody thinks it takes a lot to battle with words instead of blasters some days.

“I don’t know,” he says honestly. “I’d like to get to know you better if I could. I-I understand if you aren’t interested in me.” It wouldn’t be because he’s a clone, not to her, but well . . . he is a warrior and a fierce one at that. So’s Obi-Wan, but he’s got the whole serenity thing going for him, Cody figures. It would be-he would-it would be fine. “That’s all right, and maybe we can come to some arrangement with Obi-Wan. I-I love him too much to deny him any love.”

“You are a fine man, Kote.” He looks up, meeting her eyes at the pronunciation of his name. “An honorable one. I know a hole-in-a-wall not too far from here. Let me dress down a bit. Give me twenty minutes? Meet you in the atrium by the fountains?”

“Sure.”

They go on the date. Cody walks her back. They hold hands, not kissing. It’s different for Cody to have to think through his words more; he’s too used to the short-hand of the vode and with Obi-Wan. It’s lovely, but they agree to wait for Obi-Wan to catch up. They agree to wait until all three of them talk.

“You’re out late,” Obi-Wan murmurs, turning over in their bed. Cody thinks back to that for a minute, to a man so hurt and bewildered that his solution to his pain was to ignore it, to go months without sleep.

“Hm. I had a date with Satine.”

“Wha?” Obi-Wan sits bolt upright in bed.

“Yeah. We got noodles. You’re invited next week.”

“I-you know I can’t.”

“All right. Standing invitation.” Cody eyes him and thinks shrewdly for a minute. Then he says with the pragmatism of soldiers, “If we have sex here next week, do you want me to tell you about it?”

Obi-Wan turns bright red. “I-” he mumbles, before cutting himself off.

Cody starts stripping out of his shirt and pants. He gets into the bed. “See, I think it’d be crueler to tell you, but I thought I’d offer you the choice since you _can’t_ join in.”

“I-are you bored waiting for me?” the Jedi asks in a low voice.

“What!” The teasing drops from Cody’s face. “No! Of course not! I love you! I’m in love with you. But Satine is too, and I wanted to see if that was an option for me because you’re in love with her too.”

“Not the way I am with you.”

“I know.”

“How would this even work? We’d live on Mandalore with her? Or only see her once or twice a month?”

“Naboo is very close to Mandalore,” Cody says quietly. “I heard that’s where Anakin would like to start his school. Padme loves the vode. I know long distance wouldn’t last us forever, but it’d be a start.”

“You really want to do this?” Obi-Wan asks quietly.

“We love each other. You and she love each other. Me and her? We’re figuring it out.” Cody looks at him. “The more love, the better, is what the Old Mandalorian Code says. I agree. You need all the sanity in your life to balance out your choices.”

“Oh, well, if it’s a sacrifice for me,” Obi-Wan says sarcastically.

“That’s not it. I just . . . I would like us to explore this opportunity if we’re both, hey, if you’re interested, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Move over.”

“Do you want to have sex one day?” Obi-Wan asks. “Are you doing this to have sex with Satine because you miss it?”

“I’ve never had sex.” Cody feels his partner’s surprise. “Never wanted to. But no. I want you. I want to see where this thing with Satine goes, but she would bring something different to the relationship than what I have with you. Not better, or worse, more or less, but different. I will be perfectly happy and in love with you, even if you never want to have sex. I really was teasing before. If things progress with Satine, between all of us, we can talk about who’s having sex. If not everybody’s comfortable with it, then sex won’t happen. All right?”

“Yeah. I’ve had sex before,” he says. “A fair amount when I was younger. I haven’t since Qui-Gon died.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I don’t think I could do it without attachment.”

“Well, let’s hope you win against the Council.”

“It’s not winning,” he says primely. “It’s merely stating a case.”

“Hm,” Cody says, deciding to not argue. He snuggles up against the Jedi, turning them both on their sides, and flipping the light out. “Come on. Sleep.” Cody touches Obi-Wan’s gently, rubbing at the stump.

They date over the next month, trying to get time away from their duties, visiting each other’s apartment. Obi-Wan and Satine’s arguments don’t get more friendly, but Cody gets used to the bickering, and grows to like it. He loves adding a fresh argument just as they seem to be coming to an agreement, and watching their passion heat back up. It’s a little sad, he thinks, that they can’t put their passions to good use. Yet.

One day, about six months after the Final Battle, the Council rules. The Jedi are allowed to marry, to date, to fall in love, provided that the Council is informed, that they have meditated, and their partner(s) understand the Jedi’s calling. One month after that, Cody has sex for the first time.

He lays across Satine’s thighs, trembling with pleasure as Obi-Wan fucks into him. The Jedi’s eyes are closed, his hands are gripping Cody’s hips tight enough to leave bruises that Cody will adore later. Satine kisses Cody on the lips, and helps Obi-Wan flip them so Cody can lick her cunt. Her slick is thick and sweet, and he doesn’t know if he likes it but he keeps going until her cum covers his chin. His orgasm hits him suddenly, and he clenches down on Obi-Wan’s cock, triggering the other’s orgasm. Satine rides his face until she reaches her end, once, twice, thrice before she stops with a groan.

Cody rolls over her. Obi-Wan is at his side, rubbing a hand up and down his back. “Oh gods, we’re doing that again,” he says. “I know I said I was good without sex, and I will be, but we can do that again, right?”

“Yes.” Satine rolls on top of Cody, covering him, pressing him into Obi-Wan.

“Yep.” Obi-Wan wraps his hands around his lovers, and breathes a sigh of great peace.

“Good.”

They lay there in the afterglow, and consider that for a time, just a time, the universe is right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might add more, but like it's pretty good at this point, yeah? Maybe an epilogue. Time stamps. Something. IDK. I think the sex is pretty tame, but like let me know if I should up the rating.
> 
> I'm sorry today was an utter pitstain on United States history. This is not what my country should be. I needed to post something happy.


End file.
